NEWS 2022 March, 7

NATO countries have 'green light' to send fighter jets to Ukraine

NATO members have a "green light" to send fighter jets as part of their military aid to support Ukraine against the Russian invasion.

"That gets a green light," Blinken said in an interview with CBS News' "Face the Nation." 

"In fact, we're talking with our Polish friends right now about what we might be able to do to backfill their needs if in fact they choose to provide these fighter jets to the Ukrainians," Blinken added. 

The U.S. has been reportedly considering a deal with Poland to send U.S. warplanes to Warsaw to replace any Soviet-era fighter jets the NATO country sends to Ukraine. 

Under the proposal, the Ukrainians would receive Russian-made MiGs that Poland inherited after the Cold War ended. 

foxnews

South Korea to replace their aging CH-47D Chinooks

South Korea has invited bids for a new heavy-lift helicopter to replace its aging Boeing CH-47D Chinooks.

South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) recently posted details of the bidding procedure for the Heavy Utility Helicopter II (HUH-II) competition, valuing the deal at $1.1 billion.

Seoul had considered upgrading the army’s CH-47D fleet, which have an average age of over 37 years, but decided it is cheaper to replace them.

Lockheed Martin with the CH-53 and Boeing with the CH-47F are aware of the South Korean competition.

flightglobal

Spain Purchases 17 CH-47F Helicopters

The US State Department has approved a possible sale of CH-47F aircraft for an estimated cost of $1.3 billion to Spain.
The Government of Spain has requested to buy 17 CH-47F cargo helicopters with customer-unique modifications, 21 Common Missile Warning System (CMWS) AN/AAR-57A(V)8, and 42 Embedded Global Positioning System (GPS) Inertial Navigation System (INS) (EGI).
Also included are mission equipment, hardware and services required to implement customer-unique modifications, communication, Aircraft Survivability Equipment (ASE), and navigation equipment including AN/ARC-231 Multi-mode radios, AN/ARC-201D SINCGARS radios, AN/ARC-220 High Frequency (HF) Radio, Identification, Friend or Foe (IFF), AN/AAR-57A(V)8, and the Radar Signal Detecting Set (RSDS), AN/APR-39A(V)1, special tools and test equipment, ground support equipment, airframe and engine spare parts, technical data, publications, MWO/ECPs, technical assistance, transportation of aircraft and training, and other related elements of logistics and program support.
defensedaily

Australia Set to Acquire Three More Chinook CH-47F

The seven CH-47Fs were ordered in March 2010, with order for three more, would take the fleet to 10 CH-47Fs.
The US State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Australia for CH-47F aircraft, related equipment and support. The estimated cost is $180 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on December 18, 2015.
defense-studies

UK receives final Chinook helicopter

The United Kingdom's fleet of Boeing Chinook heavy-lift transport helicopters was brought up to full strength with the arrival of the final HC6 aircraft from the Philadelphia production plant on 7 December.
With the arrival of the last HC6 platform at the type's main operating base of Royal Air Force (RAF) Odiham in Hampshire, the United Kingdom now fields 38 HC4, eight HC5, and 14 HC6 Chinooks for its full component of 60 helicopters.
The handover marks the conclusion of HC6 deliveries that began in December 2014, with full operating capability now set to be declared.
The HC6 is essentially the same model helicopter as the CH-47F flown by the US Army.
janes

Netherlands to acquire 14 more CH-47F rotorcraft

Recognising the Chinook’s importance in missions such as deploying quick reaction forces and humanitarian assistance, the Dutch air force has decided to retire its 10 ageing CH-47Ds – which were delivered from 1995 – and upgrade its existing six F-model examples, which entered use from 2013.
Following their delivery from 2019, the Dutch aircraft will receive some modifications in the USA to meet the nation’s operational demands and certification standards. These will include installing crash-protected seats in the cockpit and cabin, and a VHF radio to enable secure communications with ground forces. Self-protection and icing detection equipment, a fast rope insertion and extraction system and an emergency locator transmitter will also be provided, along with a piloting function for its forward-looking infrared system.
flightglobal

Morocco takes delivery of three Chinooks

The Boeing CH-47 Chinook heavy lift helicopter is set to re-enter service with the Royal Moroccan Air Force (RMAF) after three were delivered to the kingdom on 15 August.
The CH-47D Chinooks were spotted being unloaded in Tangier on 15 August.
Columbia Helicopters, in the USA, have refurbished the three ex-US Army CH-47D helicopters.
janes

Indian Defence ministry clears deal to buy 15 Chinook and 22 Apache Helicopters

The defence ministry has cleared two crucial deals to equip the Indian Air Force with US-built attack and heavy-lift helicopters.
Defence minister has sent the proposals to buy 22 AH-64D Apache and 15 CH-47F Chinook to the finance ministry for clearance.
The Apache proposal went to the finance ministry on April 23, while the one to buy Chinooks was sent last week. The proposals will later go to the cabinet committee on security, for final clearance. The latest price extension granted by Boeing for the choppers is valid till June 30.
The proposals have clauses to place follow-on orders for 11 more Apaches and four extra Chinooks. Boeing had beaten off competition from Russia, which had offered its Mi-28N and Mi-26.
hindustantimes

Australia commissions first two CH-47Fs Chinook

The first two of seven CH-47F heavy-lift helicopters for the 5th Aviation Regiment of the Australian Army were commissioned in a ceremony at RAAF Townsville on 5 May.
The remaining Chinooks will be delivered by the end of July. Initial operating capability (IOC) would be achieved by December 2015 and full operating capability (FOC) by January 2017.Although the new aircraft are being received in a common configuration with the US Army's baseline CH-47Fs, they also incorporate optional Boeing-designed rotor brakes and ship tie-down adaptors to enhance operations from the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN's) two Canberra class landing helicopter docks (LHDs).
janes

India Likely To Sign AH-64 and CH-47F Deal During US Defense Secretary Visit

India is likely to sign a nearly $2.5 billion deal for 22 AH-64E Apache and 15 CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopters during an upcoming visit by U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter.
India downselected the Apache over the Russian Mi-28N in 2012 to replace its aging Russian Mi-25/35 aircraft. The Russians also lost out to Boeing in the race to sell heavy-lift helicopters after the Indian air force said it preferred the Chinook over the Mi-26T2.
India operates a Russian-built fleet of aging Mi-35 attack helicopters that urgently need to be replaced.
aviationweek

UK Seeks To Update Falklands Air Defense

Britain is to invest US $268.7 million over the next 10 years strengthening its military presence on the Falkland Islands and has already started looking for a contractor to build a key element of a ground-based air defense (GBAD) system.
Defence Secretary outlined plans to deploy helicopters and upgrade port facilities along with the GBAD system to boost Britain's military on the islands.
Two Chinook support helicopters will be operational by the middle of next year along with communications capabilities for the British headquarters at Mount Pleasant airfield.
A number of projects to replace some of the aging infrastructure are also included in the long-term capability plans, including the refurbishment of Mare Harbour.
The introduction of the Chinooks is a significant capability which will provide reactive, 24/7 tactical mobility, in order to allow a swift and decisive response to any emerging incidents.
The announcement follows a review of the islands' defenses conducted by the MoD over the last 18 months or so.
The British defend the island with a force including four Typhoon jets, an offshore patrol vessel, a ground based air defense system and infantry.
There are about 1,200 soldiers, sailors and airmen based on the Falklands.
Even before the announcement, Britain had already taken a significant step toward updating its air defenses on the Falklands by kick-starting a competition to supply a key element of a new ground-based system.
With an aging Air Force, Argentina poses no threat to the islands. The Argentineans, though, have been trying, so far without success, to modernize a force that consists of Mirage III, Super Entendard and Nesher combat jets.
The Buenos Aires government has always denied media reports that it was in talks to buy or lease Sukhoi Su-24 jets from Russia in a beef-for-fighters barter.
defensenews

Spain To Decrease Military Helicopter Types from 14 to 4

A new helicopter master plan drawn up by the Spanish Ministry of Defence (MdD) envisages the number of different models used by the services being reduced from the current 14 to four by 2040.
Three will be from Airbus Helicopters - the NH90, the H135 (formerly EC135), and the Tiger - while the fourth will be the Boeing Chinook, which will need to be upgraded.
One of the key elements will be the navy version of the NH90, for which the Armada is seeking two variants - one a maritime transport which is not yet available, plus another for anti-submarine operations.
The Hughes 500 is due to be stood down by the Armada from 2018, to be replaced by the H135, while the Sikorsky SH-3 Sea Kings will be modernised to keep them active until the arrival of the hoped-for transport replacement.
The current modernisation programme for the Agusta-Bell AB212 will enable these to keep flying until at least 2030 from the corvette-style Buque de Acción Marítima (BAMs), while the army version of the aircraft is due to be retired by 2017.
As for the army's attack helicopters, the plan says the programme to begin phasing out the MBB Bo-105 will start soon. Now the decision has been taken that the six HAP versions of its replacement, the Tiger, will not be upgraded to the HAD-E Spanish version, from around 2027 onwards the army's airmobile forces (FAMET) will operate just 18 of the latter.
In the case of the Chinook, the MdD's aim is to upgrade from the CH-47D to CH-47F versions, with a programme office being set up to handle the proposed purchase from the United States.
The training helicopters, the Airbus H120 and the Sikorsky S-76C, are due to be taken out of service from around 2027, with the replacement almost certain to be the H135. The recent reductions in the NH90 programme will also mean modernisation programmes will be needed for the army's Airbus Super Puma and Cougar.
janes

India May Sign AH-64 CH-47 Deal by Boeing Deadline

Pressured by a possible price hike from Boeing in its planned purchase of 22 AH-64E Apache and 15 CH-47F Chinook helicopters for the Air Force, the Indian Ministry of Defence is considering inking the final contract before March 31 when the price set by Boeing will expire.
A Boeing executive said the company cannot guarantee it will be able to keep the price quote beyond March 31 because it cannot afford to "wait endlessly".
India delayed signing the contract because of a lack of funds. Even in the current financial year, which ends March 31, there are no funds for new purchases because money has been diverted from the Capital Head, which is reserved for buying new weapons, to the Revenue Head account, which is used to pay for salaries and day-to-day expenses of the 1.5-million-person military.
Under these circumstances, MoD is now considering signing the $2.5 billion contract before March 31 but begin making payments in the next financial year.
The Boeing executive said they will respond to this method of payment after such a proposal is received.
However, before the deal is inked it will need clearance from the Cabinet Committee on Security which is headed by the prime minister.
The Indian Air Force selected Boeing's AH-64E Apache and CH-47F Chinook helicopters over the Russian Mi-28H Night Hunter and Mi-26 heavy lift helicopter in 2012.
defensenews

Turkey advances TFX fighter project, buy more F-35s, CH-47s

Turkey has decided to advance its TFX indigenous fighter programme, commit to four more F-35s, and to order five additional CH-47s
However, the country has postponed making a final decision on its controversial USD4 billion T-Loramids SAM programme for a further six months
Turkey will push ahead with its indigenous Turkish Fighter Experimental (TFX) project, the country's most senior defence procurement body decided on 7 January.
Speaking following the meeting, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who chairs the EC, said that "TFX with twin engines will be a completely indigenous Turkish fighter, and not a copy of any existing fighter. In four years' time the latest the preliminary design phase of the project will be completed. I can proudly say to the Turkish public that our target is to produce the first prototype of TFX in 2023."
Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), in co-operation with Saab, had previously completed the conceptual design work of TFX at a cost of around USD20 million. Though Davutoglu stated TFX will be an entirely indigenous design, a request for proposal (RfP) is expected to be released for foreign companies to take part in the fighter's preliminary design work.
janes

US approves Chinook sale to Greece

The US State Department has approved the sale of 10 Boeing CH-47D Chinook transport helicopters to Greece.
The deal was announced by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on 11 December and includes spare engines, as well as defensive aids and communications and navigation equipment.
Specifically, the equipment to be provided comprises 23 T55-GA-714A engines (20 installed and three spares), 12 AN/AAR-57 common missile warning systems (10 installed and two spares), 12 AN/ARC-220 high-frequency (HF) radios, 12 AN/ARC-186 very high-frequency (VHF) AM/FM radios, 12 AN/ARC-164 ultra-high-frequency (UHF)-AM, 12 AN/ARN 123 VOR ILS marker beacons, 12 AN/ARN-89 or AN/ARN-149 direction-finder sets, 12 AN/ASN-128 Doppler/GPS navigation sets, 12 AN/ARC-201D or AN/ARC-201E VHF FM homing radios, 12 AN/APX-118 transponders, three AN/APX-118A transponders, and 12 AN/APR-39A(V)1 radar signal detecting sets.
In addition to the 10 CH-47Ds, the Hellenic Army is also acquiring spare parts for its fleet of 28 Boeing AH-64A+/DHA Apache attack helicopters.
Once in service, these 10 CH-47Ds will join the nine CH-47D (upgraded CH-47C) and six CH-47SD (Super-D) helicopters that the Hellenic Army has fielded since 1993 (received as CH-47Cs in 1981) and 2001, respectively. It is expected that these new helicopters will form a second CH-47 aviation battalion.
janes

UK retains Chinooks in Afghanistan

The UK has retained a number of Chinook transport helicopters in Afghanistan to support personnel assigned to the NATO training and advisory mission in the country.
Three RAF Chinooks previously assigned to operations in Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan have been relocated to Kabul to support the servicemen that remain in the country following the wider withdrawal of UK forces last month.
The Chinooks become the last UK air assets to remain in Afghanistan following the announcement in mid-November that all UK forces had now left. While the RAF's Panavia Tornado GR.4 strike aircraft were withdrawn to much fanfare in mid-November, there has been no public announcement related to the other air assets in theatre, beyond the general announcements about UK forces having left their main area of operations in southern Afghanistan.
Other UK air assets stationed in Afghanistan comprised the RAF's General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a number of which have now been transferred to operations over Iraq, as well as the British Army's AgustaWestland-Boeing Apache AH.1 attack helicopters, AgustaWestland Lynx AH.9A support helicopters, and Thales Watchkeeper WK450 UAVs. All of these are now understood to either be back in the UK or in transit back to the UK.
In July, military sources disclosed that the upgraded Westland/Aerospatiale SA 330E Puma HC.2 medium-lift transport helicopter may be deployed to Kabul in 2015 to help support the NATO training mission in Afghanistan.
This MoD statement regarding the retention of some Chinooks in Kabul demonstrates that NATO and the West was never going to be able (or even willing) to make a clean break from Afghanistan with the cessation of combat operations at the end of 2014.
janes

U.S. Marines, Spanish Soldiers Train Helicopter Heavy Lift Capabilities

U.S. Marines assigned to Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response – Africa trained with Spanish soldiers from Transport Helicopter Battalion 5 in externally sling loading heavy equipment at Spanish Helicopter Base Coronel Mate, Colmenar de Viejo, Spain, Nov. 18 -19, 2014.
During the multi-day event, the Marines and Spanish soldiers conducted training in helicopter support teams, sling loading equipment to a Spanish Army CH-47 Chinook. The training event included day and night operations in which they lifted water bladders and vehicles by a single-point sling load, using only one lift cable; dual-point sling load, using two lift cables; and tandem lifts, lifting two water bladders or trucks at the same time.
The training event allowed the Marines and soldiers to sustain technical skills while enhancing operational capacity between the Spanish Military and U.S. Marines, strengthening their partnership.
SPMAGTF-CR-AF is rapid response force able to conduct a broad range of military operations in U.S. Africa Command’s operational region, including: U.S. Embassy reinforcement, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, rescue of downed pilots, and other missions as directed.
marines.mil

US looking to replace re-manufactured MH-47Gs with newbuild helos

The US Army is looking at options for replacing its remanufactured Boeing MH-47G special-mission Chinook helicopters with newbuild platforms.
According to a request for information (RfI) released on 14 November, the Technology Applications Program Office is conducting market research in support of the acquisition for the production of replacement airframes for the currently fielded 61 legacy MH-47G aircraft.
The disclosure that the US Army is looking to replace its rebuilt MH-47G helicopters comes just weeks after the service took delivery of the first of eight newbuild platforms. With the final re-manufactured aircraft having been delivered to the US Army in 2011, these aircraft have seen an extremely high tempo of operations in the harsh environment of Afghanistan.
Used by special forces, such as the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, the MH-47G differs from regular-model Chinooks in that it is equipped with double-capacity fuel tanks, an in-flight aerial refuelling probe, a digital advanced flight control system, and sensors and electronic warfare kit specified by the Special Operations Command.
janes

Possible Chinook helicopter sale to Brazil

The Brazilian Army has expressed interest in buying a handful of Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters, the company said on Wednesday.
Ties between the United States and Brazil are starting to recover from deep strains caused last year after documents leaked that showed that Washington had spied on Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and other world leaders.
After the incident, Roussef canceled a state visit to the United States and Brazil scrapped plans to buy Boeing F/A-18 fighter jets.
reuters

India expected to buy S-70B Sea Hawk Helicopter

India is expected to choose Sikorsky Aircraft's S-70B Sea Hawk helicopters at a 16-aircraft tender.
The decision could come during a high-profile visit to the United States by new Indian Prime Minister.
The Sikorsky deal would be one of several large U.S. arms purchases by India that are nearing completion, including over orders for AH-64D Apache and CH-47 Chinook helicopters.
reuters

Boeing proposes high-speed Apache, heavier Chinook

As the US Department of Defense pursues a family of high-speed rotorcraft, Boeing officials say two stalwarts of the current fleet – the AH-64 Apache and CH-47 Chinook – must be kept viable for decades to come.
The AH-64E entered service last year, but an F-model is already on the drawing boards. Some upgrades – the 3,000shp turboshaft in development under the army’s improved turbine engine programme (ITEP).
Boeing officials also believe high-speed capabilities can be added to the 40-year-old Apache design. Possibilities include adding a retractable landing gear, wingstubs to offload lift from a single main rotor in high-speed cruise and a tail rotor that articulates 90° to provide forward thrust.
Boeing is scheduled to deliver the last CH-47F in Fiscal 2019, ending a production run that began in 1961. Boeing now is proposing to remanufacture F-models with a higher gross weight.
In the past, Boeing has proposed a 31,800kg (70,000lb) class variant with a 30cm (1in) wider fuselage to accommodate up-armoured HMMWV (Humvee) trucks. Budget realities have forced the company to propose a more modest solution now. The “H-model” CH-47, as proposed, strengthens the airframe and the propulsion system to lift 24,500kg, or about 1,810kg more than the existing helicopter.
The proposals seem to clash with the company’s interests in the Future Vertical Lift (FVL) programme. Boeing has teamed with Sikorsky to develop the high-speed SB-1 Defiant for the joint multi-role technology demonstrator (JMR-TD), which is a intended to be a scaled down version of the FVL-Medium concept to replace the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk after 2030.
flightglobal