dh novdec10 digital ed

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THE PRAGMATICCHOICE

US Mi-17 procurement

SEEING THE WOODFOR THE TREES

Results of the UKs SDSR

EYES OF THEWILDCAT

Seaspray radar revealed

DEFENCE

Heavydemands

Chinook community bands together in Afghanistan

HELICOPTER

Volume 29 Number 6 November/December 2010

www.rotorhub.com


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Ever since a Sikorsky R-4 helicopter performed the first helicopter rescue

in 1942, Sikorsky has been the leader in developing outstanding search

and rescue helicopters. Now, were raising the bar even higher with an

enhanced S-92 helicopter, tailor-made for civil and military search and

rescue missions. A new Automatic Flight Control System with automatic hover

capability enhances mission effectiveness, while a uniquely spacious cabin

maximizes flexibility. Selected to serve the U.K. Maritime and Coastguard

Agency, the S-92 delivers the consistent, value-added performance you need

in the most challenging environments.

And thats just what youd expect from Sikorsky, giving the world hope

that help is on the way.

www.sikorsky.com

S-92 Helicopter:International

symbol ofhope.


3/48

3 Editorial comment

4 News

I Saudi spending spree

I UAE expands Black Hawk fleetI Size matters in mine warfare

I The Danish question

8 Seeing the wood

for the trees

The British governments Strategic

Defence and Security Review will

reshape the armed forces for future

conflicts, but questions remain over

how it affects service helicopter fleets.

12 The pragmatic choicePentagon-funded Mil Mi-17s have

been instrumental in US efforts

to resurrect Iraq and Afghanistans

air arms.

16 End of the tether

The unique challenges encountered

when delivering heavy or underslung

cargo loads by helicopter to frontline

troops or warships at sea.

21 Weighty contendersAny examination of the benefits that

medium and heavy-lift rotorcraft

bring to modern military operations

cannot go far without looking at the

conflict in Afghanistan.

26 Private tuition

Charting a year of operations for

Helidax, Europes newest military

helicopter training scheme.

29 Resurgent RooivalkAfter a tortuous development history,

Denels AH-2A is finally set to achieve

operational status next year.

33 Eyes of the Wildcat?

The Royal Navys Wildcat will be

equipped with Selex Galileos latest

Seaspray 7000E active electronically

scanned array radar. But what makes

this new airborne surveillance sensor

so different?

36 Pushing the envelope

Famous for its involvement in a number

of weird and wonderful defence projects

over the past 50 years, DARPA is currently

focusing its attention on a variety of

rotorcraft technologies.

40 Antares Chinook in action

Italy is one of a number of ISAF

nations operating the versatile

Chinook over Afghanistan.

44 Tail Spin

Colonel Bob Marion, US Army

project manager for cargo helicopters,

talks about fielding and developing

the CH-47.

IN THE NEXT ISSUE Armed Aerial Scout update

Indian helicopter programmes

Defensive aids suite technology

Australian fleet modernisation

EditorTony Skinner, [email protected]

Tel: +44 1753 727020

Deputy EditorTony Osborne, [email protected]

Tel: +44 1753 727024

Middle East EditorWilliam F Owen, [email protected]

North America EditorScott Gourley, [email protected]

Western Europe CorrespondentLuca Peruzzi

Eastern Europe CorrespondentAlexander Mladenov

Production Department ManagerDavid Hurst, [email protected]

Sub-editorMichelle Stalker, [email protected]

Senior Commercial Manager

Sandy Doyle, [email protected]: +44 1753 727003

Advertising Co-ordinatorSandra Moore, [email protected]

Publishing DirectorDarren Lake

CEOAlexander Giles

ChairmanNick Prest

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CONTENTS

Volume 29 Number 6 | November/December 2010 | Defence Helicopter

www.rotorhub.com

www.rotorhub.com

Front cover: An RAF Chinook creates a dust storm during the resupply

of 42 Commando Royal Marines at Patrol Base Delhi near Garmsir

during operations in Afghanistan. (Photo: Royal Navy/Crown Copyright)

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4/48

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www.ArmedScout.com

PERFORMANCE

COUNTS


5/48

COMMENT

Volume 29 Number 6 | November/December 2010 | Defence Helicopterwww.rotorhub.com

IT HAS BEEN LOOMING over the horizon for

months, like some kind of preordained natural

disaster that no one had the power to prevent.

The UKs Strategic Defence and Security

Review (SDSR) was awaited with dread around

the halls of the MoD and the plush central

London offices of the defence primes.

When it did finally land, the prevailing

feeling was that, aside from some high-profile

casualties, the outcome for the three services

was not as bad as it could have been the

regrettable loss of 42,000-odd civilian and

service jobs aside.

By introducing cuts of some 8% across

the department in what has been dubbed a

salami-slice review, the government let the

MoD off lightly compared to the 25%

reductions forced upon areas such as

police and justice.

While politically safe in any event, the cost

of funding operations in Afghanistan was also

outside any proposed cuts, coming as it does

from contingency budgets within the Treasury.

On the helicopter front, the Future Helicopter

Strategy, announced in December 2009, also

largely emerged unscathed. The Lynx Wildcat

project will continue, 12 additional Chinooks

will be purchased, the life of the Puma fleet

extended and the Merlin upgraded the

SDSR claims that this would deliver a properly

scaled and balanced helicopter force to

support our troops into the future.

The charge that British troops in

Afghanistan were suffering from a lack of

rotary assets, Chinooks in particular, was a

weapon often deployed against the Labour

government in recent years. In presenting the

review to the House of Commons, Prime

Minister David Cameron attempted to avoid

similar accusations by stating he had recently

spoken to commanders by teleconference,

and they had assured him they had enough

helicopters to carry out their tasks in-theatre.

However, even a casual follower of the UK

military helicopter fleet quickly spotted one cut

in numbers a planned order of 22 Chinooks

plus two attrition replacement aircraft was

halved to just 12. When questioned, Cameron

reverted to the spin that since no contract for

24 aircraft had ever been signed, the decision

could not be labelled as a cut at all. Political

semantics aside, the question of numbers

does lead us to an important debate.

It does not take much reading between the

lines of the memoirs of British helicopter

pilots who served during the 2006-2007 NATO

expansion into the south of Afghanistan to

see the sort of pressure troops were under in

that timeframe.

NUMBERS MATTER

It is certainly a truism that, in critical periods

such as this, the quantity of assets has a quality

all of its own. Whatever conflicts the UK armed

forces find themselves in post-Afghanistan, little

imagination is required to identify the benefits

that versatile platforms such as the Chinook in

sufficient numbers would bring to operations.

The SDSR is undoubtedly an important

document as the UK adapts itself to the

realities of a post-Cold War world. Predicting

the future is notoriously difficult a similar

review in 1910 would hardly have foreseen

what lay ahead for Britain and states obviously

have to prepare for the full range of threats they

may be confronted with. However, building

aircraft carriers when troops on the ground are

put in danger because of a lack of rotary lift is

the height of foolish vanity.

Conversely, perhaps the most significant

long-term outcome of the SDSR to the UKs

helicopter community has little to do with

platform numbers. Time will only tell whether

the loss of 25,000 civilian jobs within the

MoD, the oversight of an austerity-focussed

government and the lessons from previous

bungled acquisitions will ultimately result in a

more agile department able to provide the

right kit for the conflicts the UK finds itself

involved in.

Tony Skinner, Editor

The quantity of assetshas a quality all of its own.

UK fleetsescape the axe,but does the bigger picture add up?


6/48

NEWS

Defence Helicopter| November/December 2010 | Volume 29 Number 6 www.rotorhub.com

Saudi spending spree

WHILE ARMED FORCES IN EUROPE

are making dramatic cutbacks, the Saudi

government is preparing to invest in a

wide-ranging recapitalisation of its land-based

helicopter fleet.

Details of a massive helicopters order worth

more than $31 billion were revealed by the US

Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA)

on 20 October.

The Saudi government is said to be

interested in buying as many as 190 new

platforms, including up to 70 AH-64D Block III

Apaches and 72 UH-60M

Black Hawks.

The Saudis also want 36

of Boeings new AH-6i light

scout helicopter and 12 MD

530F light helicopters

likely to be used for training.

Associated equipment

includes missiles, guns

and a range of electronic

equipment and EO/IR turrets.

The majority of the

planned orders would be

destined to form a new helicopter unit for the

SaudiArabianNational Guard an organisation

separate to the Saudi Army who would use

the aircraft for national security and protecting

its borders and oil infrastructure, according to

the DSCA. They would take 36 of the Apaches,

the 72 Black Hawks as well as the AH-6is and

the MD530s.

The Saudi Royal Guard an organisation

which has previously never had its own

aviation assets would get 10 Apaches, while

the Royal Saudi Land Forces would receive 24,

probably to replace the AH-64A versions of the

aircraft it has operated since the early 1990s.

In addition to the countrys land forces

enlargement, the countrys navy is also

expanding. At Euronaval 2010 in Paris,

Lockheed Martin told reporters that the Saudis

had expressed an interest in the Littoral Combat

Ship and the MH-60R Seahawk as part of a

naval expansion programme.

Interest in the Romeo came as a surprise to

some commentators, particularly as the Royal

Saudi Naval Forces have already ordered at least

six Eurocopter AS565MB Panthers to replace the

AS365F armed Dauphins operated since the

1980s. At least four of these have been seen

operating from the companys plant at

Marignane, flying what are believed to be

customer training sorties.

AgustaWestland has also benefited from

Saudi spending, with orders for a pair of VIP-

equipped AW101s. One of the two aircraft has

been seen flying from AgustaWestlands Yeovil

facility in primer. It is understood they will join a

VIP squadron of the Royal Saudi Air Force.

By Tony Osborne, Paris, & Tony Skinner, Dubai

THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

(UAE) is procuring a total of 60

Black Hawk utility helicopters from

the US, it has been confirmed.

In addition to a direct order from

Sikorsky for 20 UH-60L Black Hawks

worth some $300 million, which

have now all been delivered, the

UAE is proceeding with two FMS

orders from the US government for a total

of 40 additional UH-60M aircraft.

At the Dubai Helishow at the beginning of

November, the UAE armed forces displayed

one of the previouslydelivered aircraft, which

hasnow been weaponised and fitted with

the FLIR Systems Star SAFIRE stabilised,

multi-sensor system.

Joseph Gigantelli, Sikorsky VP for Europe,

Middle East, Turkey and Africa, said the

additional 40 UH-60M aircraft would start

to be dispatched from February 2011 with

deliveries running through 2013.

Gigantelli said the earlier procurement of

the UH-60L aircraft had been through the

company directly as this was a quicker way of

getting the aircraft at the time than going

through the FMS process.

He added that the UH-60M aircraft were

enormously similar' to that delivered to the US

Army,theutilityaircraft featuringRockwellCollins

digital glass rather than analogue cockpits.

This is a Black Hawk region from a military

perspective the Black Hawk is the aircraft. We

have already sold into Saudi Arabia, the UAE,

Jordan, Egypt, Bahrain and we are looking at

Kuwait and Qatar as well,' Gigantelli said.

Less clear, however, is how the UAE is

proceeding with a requirement to convert some

or all of its Black Hawks to a UAE armed variant.

A 2008 DCSAnotificationsaid the Gulfcountry

was looking to weaponise its UH-60M aircraft

with Hellfire missiles,a rangeof rockets,including

high-explosive and flechette, and Gatling and

mini-guns. While this FMS is understood to be no

longer proceeding, neither Sikorsky nor the UAE

armed forces representatives at the show would

comment on the status of the requirement.

By Tony Skinner, Dubai

UAE expands Black Hawk fleet


7/48

NEWS

www.rotorhub.com Volume 29 Number 6 | November/December 2010 | Defence Helicopter

NEWS ON THE WEB

AGUSTAWESTLAND JOINSHELICOPTER CHASE

27 October 2010

COMPANIES BATTLE IT OUT FOR JAGM27 October 2010

EADS ARMED AERIAL SCOUT 72X TEAMPREPARES FOR FIRST FLIGHT

25 October 2010

FIRST S-70I BLACK HAWK COMPLETESTEST FLIGHT PROGRAMME

25 October 2010

SIKORSKY BEGINS TEST OPERATIONS ATSYSTEMS INTEGRATION LAB FOR CH-53K22 October 2010

HELI-ONE NORWAY DELIVERSSWEDISH ISAF PROJECT

14 October 2010

SIKORSKY INNOVATIONS COMPLETESTESTING OF HUB-MOUNTED

VIBRATION SYSTEM13 October 2010

STAY EXTENDED FOR DUTCH APACHESIN AFGHANISTAN11 October 2010

BELL AH-1Z EARNS NAVYRECOMMENDATION FOR FULL

FLEET INTRODUCTION4 October 2010

BRITISH ARMY APACHES ALL AT SEAON ARK ROYAL

29 September 2010

RAF SEA KING CREW HAILED FORCUMBRIAN FLOOD RESCUES AT

2010 SAR AWARDS

22 September 2010

US ARMY SHOWCASES UH-72A LAKOTATO THE WORLD

22 September 2010

US STATE DEPARTMENT ORDERS 11MORE UPGRADED S-61S FOR USE IN IRAQ

AND AFGHANISTAN21 September 2010

All these stories can be found at

www.rotorhub.com

Size matters in

mine warfareNORTHROP GRUMMAN IS PLANNING totest-fire one of the largest guns ever fitted to

a helicopter.

The Mk44 30mm Bushmaster II cannon is

one of the key components of the Rapid

Airborne Mine Clearance System (RAMICS),

under development by the company as part of

its work to produce modular mission systems

for the US Navys Littoral Combat Ship (LCS).

RAMICS has been delayed since we last reported

on the idea back in the March/April 2007 issue

ofDefence Helicopter.

However, Northrop Grummans Dex Guzman,

business development manager at Maritime

and Tactical Systems, told DHthat he was

hopeful the system could be flight-tested

next year or in 2012. The US Navy would use

the system on its fleet of multi-role MH-60S

helicopters, which will deploy on the LCS vessels.

The weapon will be electronically aimed and

steered using information from a targeting pod

fitted to the port side of the helicopter. This pod

will re-acquire targets based on data from the

manufacturer's Airborne Laser Mine Detection

System (ALMDS), which uses a light detection

and ranging system (LIDAR) to look for mines in

shallow waters where sonar is a less effective

detection medium.

Once in flight, the helicopter will go into the

hover and the weapon will be aimed at the

mines position and fire five armour-piercing

super-cavitating sabot rounds to vaporise the

water in front of the round, improving its

accuracy and allowing it to destroy the mine.

Once firing is complete, the LIDAR can then

be used to determine if the mine has been

disabled or destroyed.

The weapon has so far only been trial-

mounted on an MH-60S on the ground and

Northrop Grumman said the entire RAMICS kit

could be fitted to a helicopter in two hours. It

could also be used on other medium-sized

naval helicopters such as the NHI NH90.

By Tony Osborne, Paris

Royal Navy partners incrime take to the air

THE SHAPE OF THE UK ROYAL NAVYS (RNs)

future shipborne fleet came closer to reality

with the maiden flights of the first Merlin Mk 2

and the second Wildcat.

Although the announcement was timed

to coincide with Euronaval 2010 in Paris, the

first Merlin Mk 2 (ZH826) actually flew on

30 September. Thirty Merlin Mk 1 ASW

helicopters will be upgraded to Mk 2 standard

as part of the Merlin Capability Sustainment

Programme (MCSP), which not only includes

the integration of a new open-architecture

mission system and improved radar and sonar

but also new avionics for the flight crew.

Lockheed Martin responsible for the

integration of the new systems said the MCSP

will resolve obsolescence issues in the current

Mk 1 variant and reduce through-life costs.

Meanwhile, AgustaWestland flew the second

AW159 Wildcat, aircraft TI-02, on 14 October

more than a month later than planned.

Defence Helicopterunderstands that

engineers had been awaiting data gathered

from the first prototype Wildcat to establish the

behaviour of the tail rotor, rear stabiliser and

endplates before the second aircraft could take

to the air.

TI-02 will be used to undertake flight testing

of the aircrafts core and mission avionics

systems. The third aircraft, TI-03, is scheduled to

join the flight test programme in late October.

By Tony Osborne, London


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NEWS ANALYSIS


The Danish questionTHE DANISH GOVERNMENT HAS PROVIDED

more details regarding its Maritime Helicopter

Programme (MHP) as the project begins to

gather momentum.

The MHP was launched in 2007 to acquire

a replacement type for the Royal Danish

Navys (RDNs) Westland Lynx fleet which

could operate from all RDN vessels fitted

with a helicopter deck. Currently, the RDN

has eight Lynx Mk 90Bs which equip its

surface combatants.

According to Camilla Frederiksen, an

information officer at Denmarks Defence

Acquisition and Logistics Organisation (DALO),

the RDNs Lynx helicopters are currently

deployed on the services Thetis-class frigates,

which support Danish national sovereignty

and interest enforcement in the territorial

waters around Greenland and the Faroe

Islands, and assistance to local communities

in these areas.

COMPETING IDEAS

Lynx are also deployed on board the navys

Absalon-class command and support vessels,

and will fly from the Iver Huitfeldt-class frigates

currently under construction, which will fulfil

RDN commitments around the world. The

MHP will support Danish naval doctrine,

which requires that up to two support

ships or frigates, each with one embarked

maritime helicopter, will be deployed perhaps

simultaneously for up to six months within

one year in support of traditional maritime

operations and combined joint operations.

Several types of helicopter have been

mooted as potentially meeting the Danish

requirement, including the AgustaWestland

AW159 Wildcat and AW101 Merlin, the NHI

NH90 and Sikorskys S-92 and MH-60R

Seahawk. The Danish government insists that

it has yet to make a formal shortlist.

The RDNs new helicopters will be

expected to undertake a diverse range of

missions, including maritime surveillance and

reconnaissance, anti-surface warfare, maritime

interdiction and force protection. This will be

in addition to general transport, vertical

replenishment and SAR.

This wide range of missions could make

the larger designs in contention, such as the

NH90, AW101 and S-92, particularly attractive.

However, while the AW101 is already in service

as a naval helicopter and is a veteran of combat

operations with the UK Royal Navy in Iraq, of

all of the types under consideration, it is the

heaviest by some margin. Questions have

been asked in the Danish press about whether

the aircraft might be too large for operation

aboard RDN surface combatants.

Although the current fleet comprises eight

aircraft, to date the DALO has not outlined

the exact size of the MHP requirement in

terms of the total to be procured. This is

because the quantity ordered will depend

on the maintenance provision offered and

associated operational availability.

SUPPORT SOLUTION

It will be up to potential suppliers to support

an overall solution based on deployment

profiles and the annual requirements for flying

hours as stated in the RfP that has been issued

to the potential suppliers, noted Frederiksen.

An RfP was issued by the Danish government

in late September, divided into two parts. Part

one requests information regarding the

overall price of a comprehensive solution and

information with regard to possible logistic

solutions. The second part focusses on the

prospective suppliers providing detailed

information about the capabilities of their

respective aircraft.

DECISION TIME

The DALO has not yet revealed the extent of

industrial offset that will be required as part

of the programme, although it has stated

that this will be a requirement, whichever

airframer wins.

In terms of how the competition will

proceed, Copenhagen is currently awaiting

replies to part 1 of the RfP, with responses

to part 2 expected by late April. Once all

this information has been received,

negotiations will commence with a

final shortlist of suppliers.

The duration of the negotiations will be

dependent on the number of remaining

suppliers and the complexity of negotiations.

A firm date for a type selection has therefore

not been issued at this stage, Frederiksen said.

By Tom Withington, France

The RDN currently has eight Lynx Mk 90Bs. The aircraft are mainly used for

SAR, and operate from the navys Thetis-class patrol vessels. (Photo: RDN)


9/48

The CH-47F Chinook is the most versatile, mission-capable

heavy-lift helicopter in the world. More powerful than ever

with advanced flight controls and avionics, the CH-47F

is in a class by itself, whether its transporting troops and

equipment, on deep combat assault, performing search

and rescue, or delivering disaster relief. Extraordinary

performance its what you expect from Chinook.


10/48

with the army largely untouchable given its

heavy presence in Afghanistan (aside from

losing heavy vehicles and 7,000 personnel),

it was the RAF that bore the brunt of the cuts,

including termination of the Nimrod MRA4

programme and early retirement of the

Harrier fleet.

However, helicopters were barely mentioned,

considering the level of attention given to the

subject over the past two years, and as a result

many questions remain on certain key projects.

One that did pass the Prime Ministers

lips was the long-awaited addition of more

Chinooks, announced as part of the MoDs

Future Helicopter Strategy, drawn up by the

previous administration in the final months

of 2009.

Although no contract had been signed,

the MoD had announced it was planning to

Seeing the

woodfor thetrees

The British governments StrategicDefence and Security Review will

reshape the armed forces for futureconflicts, but questions remain over

how it affects service helicopterfleets, finds Tony Osborne.

Even before Prime Minister David Cameronstood up in Parliament to announce theresults of the UKs Strategic Defence and

Security Review (SDSR), there was debate about

whether it would really address the countrys

future defence needs or simply attempt to plug

the black hole that exists in the MoDs finances.

A cut of 8% over four years means the

department actually got off more lightly than

had been suggested in the weeks leading up to

19 October, no doubt assisted by the concerns

raised by the higher echelons of the US

government and across NATO that significant

cuts might end up damaging key relationships.

The SDSR white paper, Securing Britain in

an Age of Uncertainty, says that defence has

to become more thoughtful, more strategic

and more co-ordinated in the way the UK

advances its interests, and called upon the

MoD to become more commercially minded

when it came to procurement and

renegotiating contracts.

However, there was little mention of the idea

of increasing cooperation with international

partners that was suggested when the green

paper for the SDSR was revealed at the

beginning of 2010.

CARRIER CONTROVERSY

Of course, the biggest SDSR talking point was

not about doctrinal matters or job losses, but

concerned decisions about hardware, in

particular the Royal Navys (RNs) two future

aircraft carriers.

Their controversial procurement the ships

will be more expensive to cancel than to build

left policy-makers with awkward choices. Once

the decision was made to retain both carriers,

UK PROGRAMMES

Defence Helicopter| November/December 2010 | Volume29 Number 6 www.rotorhub.com

Perhaps one of the most surprising

SDSR decisions was that to

retain and upgrade the Puma

fleet. (All photos: author)


11/48

Sagem lets you mix and match the solutions you need for your missions. From autopilots and flight controls to data management

and transmission systems, we deliver original equipment or retrofit solutions tailored to your specific requirements. Because

mission success depends on the right ingredients. www.sagem-ds.com

Be a smart chopper


12/48

The armys

Apache fleet

received scant

attention in the SDSR,but given its success in

Afghanistan it was perhaps

politically untouchable.

UK PROGRAMMES

www.rotorhub.comDefence Helicopter| November/December 2010 | Volume 29 Number 6

AgustaWestland has already done some early

work, looking at the potential of installing the

Sea Kings Searchwater 2000 radar and Cerberus

mission system to create an ASaC version of the

Merlin, using Mk 1 airframes not needed for thetypes mid-life update programme.

However, with the decision having been

made to go down the conventional cat and

trap route on the ship, there is potential for a

fixed-wing solution, such as the E-2 Hawkeye.

Not having a carrier-launched AEW capability of

some kind would be a worrying backwards step

for many observers, given the lessons learnt in

the Falklands conflict.

Back on land, all the main helicopter bases

appear to have survived intact, although the

reduction in the number of Chinooks purchased

means they can all be based at Odiham. Benson

should be safe if the RAF retains the Merlin

fleet, while Culdrose and Yeovilton are likely to

continue to be home to the navys Merlin and

Wildcat fleets respectively.

Little detail was given in the SDSR on the

future make-up of the Army Air Corps helicopter

fleet. Although Wildcat and Apache will obviously

play a significant part, there was no mention of

the fate of the Lynx or Gazelle fleets. While the

latter escaped retirement in 2008 and lives on,

it remains to be seen for how much longer.

Then there is the ongoing saga of SAR.

The governments Comprehensive Spending

Review unveiled the day after the SDSR on

20 October conspicuously lacked any detail

on the SAR-H programme to contractorise

rescue helicopter operations currently carried

out by the RN and RAF.

Suggestions that the competition might

have to be re-run seem premature, but the SDSR

noticeably failed to confirm whether the plan to

retire the Sea King in 2016 was still going ahead.

The preferred bidder for the project, the Soteria

consortium, would not comment on the status

of the programme.

It seems likely that more detail on all these

issues will emerge in the coming months. Given

the attention received by helicopter shortages

in Afghanistan, the fleet was unlikely to suffer a

great deal. Its easy to say that the cuts could

have been worse, but pressures on crews and

personnel are likely to increase, particularly if talk

of longer deployments becomes reality. Time will

tell whether the all-important esprit de corpsand

can-do attitude of British service personnel can

survive the doom and gloom of the cuts. DH

order 22 Chinooks, plus two attrition

replacements for aircraft lost in Afghanistan,

bringing the RAFs fleet to a total of 70.

However, this has now been scaled back

to plans to acquire just 12.

This fact was seized upon by opposition

leader Ed Miliband, who attacked the reduction,

but the government countered by saying

that the concerns which prompted the

planned purchase lack of airlift capacity in

Afghanistan have now been addressed.

This is likely to be true witness the

introduction of RAF Merlins in-theatre and the

upgraded Lynx AH9As ability to operate year-

round but at the time of the announcement

to buy the aircraft, there were concerns by

some commentators that the MoD might have

been hedging its bets on a large Chinook fleet.

However, whilst hugely successful in

Afghanistan, it may be that future conflicts

will not require such a high number of heavy

troop-carrying helicopters.

Defence Helicopterunderstands that there

has been consideration of the possibility of

transferring the 12 new Chinooks to the RN

to replace the Sea Kings of the Commando

Helicopter Force (CHF) when those helicopters

retire in 2016 assuming that the latter

withdrawal is still the plan.

The rationale for this may have been

because it would have delivered more cost-

effective training by transferring CHF Sea King

pilots onto Chinooks rather than re-training

RAF Merlin crews for the type, thus allowing

RN crews to retain their specialist maritime

flying capabilities.

Furthermore, with the stated plan of using

one of the new aircraft carriers as a helicopter

platform, there would be fewer limitations

on deck space and hangarage when using

Chinooks from the ship if they were dedicated

naval aircraft fitted with folding blades.

Where this would leave the plan to transfer

the RAFs fleet of Merlin Mk 3s to the CHF is

unclear. Although the SDSR stated that the

Merlin force will be upgraded to enhance its

ability to support amphibious operations, it did

not confirm whether the CHF handover was still

going to happen.

A statement made to the RAF Families

Federation by the Chief of the Air Staff, ACM Sir

Stephen Dalton, on the day of the SDSRs release

claimed that a future transport helicopter fleet

comprising the Chinook, Merlin and upgraded

Puma will continue to see the RAF providing a

critical and expanded element of air power to

meet the wide variety of tasks/operations that

will face us in this decade and beyond.

SAFETY IN NUMBERS

To the surprise of some, the Puma HC2

programme escaped the axe, although it is

being slightly reduced. While the contract

stated that 28 aircraft would be upgraded, it

appears that numbers have been cut to 24.

While the upgrade was intended to give the

type another decade of life, it now seems likely

that the Puma will be expected to operate

through 2020 and beyond.

The Wildcat appears to be safe, although

its not clear whether the planned purchase

of 62 (28 for the navy and 34 for the army)

will be reduced. The SDSR did say that maritime

helicopter numbers would be aligned to the

overall size of the future maritime force structure.

Surface warfare ships are being cut from 23 to

19, which may be reflected in a lower number of

ship-borne rotorcraft.

Meanwhile, the decision to eventually field

a fully operational aircraft carrier with the

conventional take-off and landing F-35C naval

version of the Joint Strike Fighter means there is

still a requirement for an airborne early warning

(AEW) aircraft to replace the Sea King ASaC7.


13/48

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14/48Defence Helicopter| November/December 2010 | Volume 29 Number 6 www.rotorhub.com

Trade sanctions imposed in 2006 by

Washington against Rosoboronexport,

Russias monopoly arms export agency, due

to its contracts with Iran, meant that no direct

government-to-government Mi-17 sales were

possible between Russia and the US. As a

result, various private intermediary

companies in the US established a profitable

business acting as the principal sources for

providing Mi-17s.

Originally acquired from Russia as civil

aircraft, the helicopters were eventually re-

sold to the Pentagon following modification

for military use. This somewhat complicated

and circuitous procurement method lent

weight to some of the main arguments raised

against the Hip-Hpurchases by lawmakers

such as Shelby, who made repeated public

claims that the Mi-17 buy by the Pentagon

had either uncoordinated oversight or simply

none at all.

Shelby claimed the results of this lack of

supervision were massive waste, cost

overruns, schedule delays, safety concerns

and major delivery problems. He also urged

the Pentagon to analyse alternative airframes,

and select the best helicopter for the mission.

I n October 2009, US Senator RichardShelby publicly revealed in a letter toSecretary of Defense Robert Gates that the US

has spent $807.2 million on the purchase of

Russian-made Mi-17 (Hip-H) helicopters for

delivery to the armed forces of Afghanistan,

Iraq and Pakistan.

This was the first public acknowledgment

of the full scope of Mi-17 purchases by the

US government. The process suddenly faced

increased scrutiny in Congress, where

lawmakers complained about a lack of

oversight of the procurement, and demanded

to know why US-made types had not been

considered in the place of the Mil aircraft.

CIRCUITOUS ROUTE

A DoD spokeswoman, quoted in the

Washington Postnewspaper this July,

responded to the complaints by stating that

analysis conducted by US Central Command

in 2005 identified the Mi-17 as the most cost-

effective means, at the time, for meeting the

operational requirements of Iraq, Afghanistan

and Pakistan.

Meanwhile in March 2010, the DoD issued

a report to Congress addressing the issue.

CONSIDERED RESPONSE

The response from US military officials to

these charges defended the ongoing Mi-17

procurement for the Afghan National Army Air

Corps (ANAAC). The Mi-17s supporters within

the Pentagon asserted that this specific type

was the only suitable platform to operate in

Afghanistans conditions. Furthermore, it

was already familiar to Afghan pilots and

technicians. Officials also countered that

switching to a US-manufactured type would

cause huge problems for the fledgling Afghan

air arm, reducing its capabilities for waging war

against the Taliban.

The Mi-17 is vitally important to Afghanistan

today to support the counter-insurgency effort,

and will continue to be important for the future

of Afghanistan, said Brig Gen Michael Boera,

Commanding General of the Combined Air

Power Transition Force, NATO Training Mission

Afghanistan/Combined Security Transition

Command Afghanistan (NTM-A/CSTC-A).

In July 2010, Boera also stated in an official

NTM-A/CSTC-A press release that, in time, a

transition to a Western medium-lift helicopter

might be the right thing to do but, for now, the

growth and development of the ANAAC, as well

PROCUREMENT POLICY

The Mi-8 was the workhorse of the Soviet Army during the invasion of Afghanistan during the 1980s. Now the latest generation of

that aircraft is playing a key role in the newly established Afghan Air Force and under contract with ISAF. (Photos: US DoD)

The pragm


15/48

PROCUREMENT POLICY

The Mil Mi-17 and its improved derivatives have beeninstrumental in US efforts to resurrect Iraq and Afghanistansair arms. Alexander Mladenov provides an in-depthreview of Pentagon-funded Hipexports to southwest Asia.


as the ability to support todays fight, depended

on the air arm retaining the Mi-17.

The pilots and technicians currently serving

with the ANAAC have a wealth of experience on

flying and maintaining the Mi-17, accumulated

over some 30 years of operations with the type.

Their transition to a Western model could cause

huge difficulties due to poor English-language

skills and a general lack of education. In

addition, the helicopters simple and rugged

design is particularly suitable for operating over

Afghanistans difficult terrain and can cope with

challenging hot-and-high conditions in the

summer months.

Another big plus was that the Mi-17 could be

procured relatively quickly usually within one

year compared to its Western counterparts.

MULTIPLE ORDERS

Up to June 2010, the DoD was reported to

have procured some 31 Mi-17s (an eclectic

mixture of new and second-hand machines) for

the ANAAC. Ten more examples were marked

to join the fleet between July and November

this year, and the contract for this most recent

batch includes helicopters built to the latest Mi-

17 standard with dolphin-style nose, rear cargo

ramp and improved avionics and equipment.

The price of these ten Mi-17s was officially

reported in an NTM-A/CSTC-A press release,

dated 8 July 2010, to be $155 million. However,

no information has been divulged about

their origin, the specific avionics/equipment

configuration and the extent of the pre-delivery

modifications carried out.

Nevertheless, an Mi-17 unit price exceeding

$15 million can be regarded as a reasonably

Whilst their procurement

for the coalition might be

controversial, the Mi-17 has

proved to be an extremely

reliable platform in somecases even more so than

their complex Western

equivalents. (Photo: NATO

Training Mission

Afghanistan)

atic choice


16/48

PROCUREMENT POLICY


high one, especially as these examples seem to

have no expensive equipment installed on

them, such as high-performance optronic

payloads for day/night surveillance and

targeting or modern self-defence suitescomprising missile approach warners, IR

jammers and chaff/flare dispensers.

As a comparison, the current factory price

of a newly built Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant

(U-UAP) Mi-171E or Kazan Helicopters Mi-17V-5

for export, outfitted with Russian legacy

avionics and equipment, is around $10 million.

Nevertheless, this price can be regarded as

more than reasonable when compared to US or

European helicopters in the same weight class

that possess comparable hot-and-high

capability. These are, as a rule, between two and

three times more expensive, so a unit price of

around $15.5 million still makes the robust and

easy-to-operateHip-Hconsiderably cheaper

than its Western counterparts.

Todays Mi-171/Mi-17V-5 is a 13t class

rotorcraft with a 4,000kg payload that can be

carried 350km, while a 3,000kg payload allows

580km on internal fuel. More importantly, the

helicopter retains a good proportion of its load-

carrying performance on operations at altitudes

of up to 4,500m. Its stand-up cabin has a

volume of 23m3 and can accommodate

between 24 and 36 troops. The Mi-171/

Mi-17V-5 also comes equipped with a 5,000kg

capacity belly cargo hook and can be outfitted

with a 300kg capacity electrical winch.

In addition to the door-mounted machine

guns, the Mi-17 can be armed with a variety of

weapon loads carried on up to six external

outriggers, including forward-firing rockets

(20-round packs for 80mm rockets or 32-round

packs for 57mm rockets), 23mm gun pods,

free-fall bombs and bomblet dispensers.

GETTING UP TO STRENGTH

The build up of the ANAACs Hipfleet is set

to continue and it is envisaged that the

eventual strength by 2012 will be as many

as 52 helicopters. To make this possible, a

specification for the purchase of a new batch

of 21 additional Mi-17s was issued in July 2010

by the US government. Publicly available, the

document calls for the procurement of newly

built Mi-17V-5 or Mi-171 helicopters with

dolphin noses, rear ramps and basic

Westernised avionics, including COTS

communication and navigation systems.

Moscow has already expressed its readiness

to provide several helicopters (expected to be

two or three) free of charge as its contribution

to military operations in Afghanistan. This was

also confirmed in early September by the USUnder Secretary of State for Political Affairs,

William Burns, who said that the US

government welcomed the Russian offer for

donating Mi-17s to the Afghans, and that both

sides were exploring the possibility of further

commercial purchases of the type.

At the time of writing, it had not yet been

decided which company in Russia U-UAP

or Kazan will be contracted to produce the

new batch of helicopters for Afghanistan.

On 29 September, Defence Technology of

Huntsville, Alabama, announced in a press

release that its procurement plan for 21

Mi-17s had been approved by the Russian

government. The announcement was related

to the acquisition mentioned above, which is

expected to be worth up to $370 million and

was due for award as Defence Helicopterwent to

press. The release implied that the Pentagon

has decided to continue with the procurement

of Mi-17s for Afghanistan, again using US

companies as intermediaries.

EXPERIENCED MIDDLEMAN

Defence Technology is not new to the Mi-17

business, as it was the prime contractor in a

2009 US Navy programme to procure four

Mi-17s for the ANAAC. In a rather extraordinary

deal, the company delivered all four aircraft

within 46 days of contract award.

For the latest procurement, Defence

Technology received a letter from the Russian

government stating that Moscow concurred with

the planned acquisition method and that there

were no obstacles to exporting the civil Mi-17

variant to Kabul.

According to Byron Kreck, programme

manager of the companys Afghan Aviation

Support Group, this preliminary agreement

assures Washington that Defence Technologys

acquisition plan compiles with Russian law and

that the export licence can be quickly obtained.

As a consequence, the risk for the navy is greatly

reduced and timely delivery is ensured.

Certainly, export licences have been a major

obstacle in previous US Mi-17 contracts, where

12 months or more was spent obtaining the

necessary Russian government approvals

allowing export of the helicopters.

Meanwhile, in August 2009, Russian

Helicopters announced that it had signed a

contract with Airfreight Aviation of Sharjah, UAE,

for the sale of as many as 20 civilian-standard

Mi-171Es in utility transport configuration, which

were due for delivery in this year. At first glance,

there was nothing special about such a deal, and

the real significance of the announcement can

Iraq now has a fleet of roughly 60 Mi-17s in

a range of variants as part of the ongoing

re-capitalisation of its armed forces which is

also set to include the purchase of fighter jets

in the relatively near future. (Photo: USAF)

The Afghan Air Force has

quickly built up its fleet of

Mi-17s from a range of sources,

with plans for as many as 56 by

2013. (Photo: USAF)


17/48

required an extensive

design and

development effort,

which seems to

have incurred a

considerable price

increase and delays in

delivery to the end

user. By October 2009,

the project was nearly

a year behind

schedule and further

delays may have been

incurred due to the

late granting of the

Russian export licence.

Sources from

U-UAP toldDHthat

the last Mi-171Es

from the batch

ordered by Airfreight

were handed over

to the customer in

early 2010.

CAPABILITY

AT A COST

Contract clauses show

that the unit price at

which Airfreight

resold factory-new


only be fully realised when the background of

Airfreight Aviation is considered.

The company has been among the main

suppliers of newly-builtHip-Hs for the air arms

of Afghanistan and Iraq. Helicopters purchased

by Airfreight Aviation are upgraded at its own

MRO facility in Sharjah and then handed over to

US companies contracted by the US

government to supply helicopters to the

governments of Iraq and Afghanistan.

IRAQI TRANSACTIONS

Furthermore, detailed information also

appeared in the public domain in 2008 about a

deal for the delivery of 22 helicopters through

the Pentagons Foreign Military Sales process to

support the Iraqi government.

Aeronautical Radio of Annapolis, Maryland,

was awarded a $322 million firm fixed-price no-

bid contract by the DoD for the procurement

and delivery of 22 Mi-17CT helicopters in

December 2007. Information about the

contract came to light following an in-depth

investigation by US journalist Sharon

Weinberger, writing for the Danger Room blog.

According to the contract clauses, the 22

helicopters to be delivered to the Iraqi Air Force

(IAF) in so-called Mi-17CT configuration

(CT denoting Counter Terrorism) are intended

to be used by special forces.

The contract terms and conditions included

the procurement of civil-standard Mi-171s

with rear ramps (manufactured at U-UAP). Their

subsequent upgrade to Mi-17CT standard was

carried out at Airfreights facility in Sharjah.

New equipment added for the special

forces support role includes a FLIR Systems

AN/AAQ-22 Star SAFIRE optronic payload

for day/night surveillance, outriggers with

a total of six hardpoints, provision for door

and ramp gun mounts, two 23mm gun

pods and rocket packs (together with the

associated electronic weapon control system),

a new intercom, VHF/UHF and HF radios, and

IFF with encryption.

Integrated self-protection on the Mi-17CT

includes the AN/AAR-60 MILDS missile

approach warning system. Engine exhaust

suppressors and crashworthy self-sealing

tanks are to be provided as OEM-installed

modifications, as well as NVG-compatible

cockpit and external lighting.

The integration of all this Western equipment

green Mi-171s to Aeronautical Radio

amounted to $7.33 million. However, the final

unit price for the Mi-17CTs paid by the Iraqi

government jumped up to around $13.6 million

for the first batch of eight and $12.63 million forthe second one of 14 machines.

At the time, this was considered the

highest unit price ever paid for a newly built

Mi-8/17 derivative, although the Mi-17s

delivered to Afghanistan between July and

November 2010 proved to be even more

expensive. This is also likely to be the case with

the new batch of Mi-17s planned for contract

award in October.

Like all such purchases, the US Mi-17

procurements echo the fundamental

economic concept principle of price being

a reflection of supply and demand. There is

a high demand but a limited supply of the

much-needed Mi-17 today and this, when

combined with short lead times, has had

an understandable impact on the final

unit cost. DH

PROCUREMENT POLICY


18/48

Endof the tetherJames Careless looks at the unique challengesencountered when delivering heavy or underslung cargo

loads by helicopter to frontline troops or warships at sea.


For civilian helicopter pilots, having a Land

Rover slung 200ft below your aircraft

where you cant even see it would be nerve-

wracking enough. Now add in the fact that

youre doing this wearing night vision goggles(NVGs) while flying in hostile territory, not to

mention the possibility of insurgents firing

machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades

at your helicopter, whose manoeuvrability has

been limited due to its underslung load.

That is enough to give a civilian pilot

nightmares, but its all in a days work for NATO

helicopter crews flying cargo in Afghanistan.

The main difference [between military and

civilian cargo missions] is the environment in

which the aircraft fly, said Raymond Haddad,

director of Boeing Chinook worldwide support.

Military missions are flown in combat or for

combat support in a hostile environment, in all

conditions, 24 hours a day, seven days a week,

whereas the civilian missions are in a peaceful

environment with less danger to the aircrew

and cargo.

HAULING IT ALL

Clearly, military helicopter missions are not for

the faint of heart, with helicopters typically

bridging the last mile between troops and

supply depots. While the freight can come in by

fixed-wing aircraft, ship, train or truck, it really

does not matter how it gets to the pickup point,

as long as there are pads for the cargo

helicopters to land on.

As for the size of the aircraft, although

any military helicopter can carry cargo, the

preference is for larger models such as the

Arospatiale SA330 Puma or Boeing CH-47

Chinook, the latter of which can lift more

than 6.3t.

Cargo missions bring everything that troops

might need to the battlefield. These include

water, rations and clothing, weapons and

ammunition, and even vehicles such as the

Land Rover or Humvee.

Virtually everything the ground soldier

needs can be brought in by military helicopter,

whether packed into the cabin, slung

underneath in nets or connected to heavy

nylon strops, according to John Warner, a

helicopter support consultant with UK-based

Inzpire. Warner flew with the RAF for 25 years

in various capacities, including a stint as

commander of the Joint Special Forces Aviation

Wing. The trick is in loading the helicopter

CARGO HAULING

The ability to fly

underslung loads is a

critical component of

underway replenishment

for many navies around

the world. The US Navy has

a large number of MH-60

Knighthawks assigned to

the task. (Photo: US Navy)


19/48

For ground forces in

Afghanistan, seeing a

Chinook with an underslung

load usually means fresh

supplies, be they food, water

or ammunition. (Photo: UK

MoD Crown Copyright)

CARGO HAULING


properly to stay within its payload capacity

including any range-extending fuel tanks and

to ensure that the load is properly balanced.

Military helicopters also play a key supply

role with the US Navy, which uses contractor-

flown Pumas for the vertical replenishment

(VERTREP) of ships at sea.

What makes the use of the Puma unique

and improved upon over the navys H-60

counterpart is the ability to double-stack

pallet loads due to the main rotor blade height,

said Cmdr Bob McWhorter, air officer of US

Military Sealift Commands (MSCs) Naval Fleet

Auxiliary Force.

Through a network of fleet replenishment

schedulers, MSC ships are tasked to meet the

supply needs of US Navy ships at sea. As an

extension of the MSC ships mission, the US

Navy commercial helicopter detachments

provide a lift capability through the use of

external cargo net and sling load operations.

The Puma aircraft is also capable of internal

pallet supply movement, but this is normally

reserved for more fragile [loads].

MULTIPLE CHALLENGES

Flying a helicopter within range of ground fire

is hazardous at best, fatal at worst. Even without

this danger, the military cargo mission can be

dicey for pilots.

The first challenge is the delivery schedule.

Point A to point B resupplies are easy, said

Haddad. But when there are multiple

destinations where cargo will be loaded

and unloaded, load sequencing must be

wisely planned out.

Next comes the packing. Most internal cargo

is not neatly packaged into stackable cubes,

which means cargo space is sometimes wasted,

he continued. Because of the wide variety of

shapes and sizes that must be transported,

it is difficult to restrain this cargo. Additionally,

internal cargo is usually transported along with

passengers in the only cargo compartment,

so the safety of the passengers rests on the

ability to restrain the internal load.

This cargo can be manually unloaded at the

destination, or slid off on parachute-equipped

pallets while the helicopter is still in flight.

Careful forethought must also be given to

how the loads weight is distributed throughout

the aircraft. If the load is too far off the aircrafts

centre of gravity [CG], you could end up

compromising the helicopters performance,

or losing control in worst-case scenarios, said

Warner. You also have to ensure that the CG is

still respected once the first few deliveries have

been made.

Flying an external, underslung load adds a

further level of complexity. Most of the lines

used are 5-10m in length, but occasionally

loads are attached to long lines of up to 60m.

Bulk loads of water, rations or other supplies

are often contained in nets to allow for more

rapid delivery and to carry awkward items,

while vehicles and other heavy objects are

attached to mounting points connected to

the helicopters airframe.

UNSEEN BURDEN

It is standard procedure for a military cargo

pilot not to see the underslung load they are

carrying. This is because the load flies below

and behind the aircraft, due to the combined

forces of inertia and wind. As a result, the

pilot is entirely reliant on feedback from

crew members in the rear of the helicopter,

and specially trained ground personnel

charged with loading and receiving the

underslung shipments.

With a heavy load under you, your

airspeed is reduced, and you have to be careful

to monitor the loads movements to prevent

a pendulum effect from occurring, with the

aircraft serving as the pivot, Warner said. As

As well as the MH-60, the US Navy contracts in

SA330 Pumas from a number of operators to

carry out the vertical replenishment task. This

example is flown by Evergreen. (Photo: US Navy)

You have to be careful

to monitor the loadsmovements to preventa pendulum effect.


20/48Defence Helicopter| November/December 2010 | Volume 29 Number 6 www.rotorhub.com

a result, your ability to manoeuvre is

substantially reduced to just a few degrees in

any direction. So when you are flying into an

unfamiliar hostile area at night wearing NVGs,

and you come under fire, its a high-pressure,high-workload environment.

Even when the flight path isnt so dangerous,

other issues may crop up that can compromise

flight safety. For instance, Haddad noted that

sometimes the external load that the customer

needs to be ferried is different to the load which

was briefed. Some of our CH-47s are equipped

with load sensors in the cargo hook that

provide data to the mission computers to

update the weight and balance to counter

these surprises.

To further enhance the safe landing of

underslung cargo, Boeing has installed radar

altimeters to aid crew chiefs in picking up and

dropping off the external load. The crew chief

normally relies on visual cues such as blowing

grass, shadows and the clarity of objects on the

ground to estimate load height during drop-off

and pick-up. In some cases, the operating

environment will not provide these cues and

the radar altimeter can serve as a backup

indication of the height of the load.

Although the altimeter only provides

the height of the aircraft in reference to the

ground, the crew chief can note the indicator

for the helicopter altitude when the external

load is first lifted off the ground to establish a

reference point.

RUN OF THE MILL?

Flying military cargo is a real challenge for

pilots. Yet veteran flier Warner dismisses the

notion that the work requires high-level skills.

Actually, most pilots classify these flights as

being run-of-the-mill missions, he toldDefence

Helicopter. This is because we train intensively

for these missions, running through all kinds

of what-if scenarios long before we are

deployed in combat. So although the work is

demanding, I wouldnt call it exceptional. It is

part of what military pilots do for a living, and

a major element of the contribution we make

to our troops.

Even so, todays armed forces could not

function as they do without the courage and

tenacity of helicopter pilots ferrying cargo to

the front. These are the kinds of missions that

go unsung, yet are absolutely vital to achieving

military success. DH

Improving the Chinook

locks. This new system allows the crew

chief to lock in multiple pallets from an easily

accessible lever.

The latest capabilities of the CH-47F

include a glass cockpit integrated with a

new digital automatic flight control system

(DAFCS) that significantly improves situational

awareness and handling for challenging

combat cargo missions.

BEEPING DOWN

For example, the DAFCS allows the pilot to

direct the aircraft to a stable hand-off hover

(hover hold) and beep down the aircraft in

one foot increments or beep sideways to

keep the aircraft in a stable position. This

allows troops to be deployed or received

in difficult terrain, providing a tactical

advantage. It also enables more challenging

sling load operations, since the pilot can

more easily hover and manoeuvre over loads

in tight operating conditions during pick-up

and drop-off.

For the future, Boeing is working on

further improvements to the Chinooks

cargo onloading/offloading system. The

company is also developing a real-time

cargo management system to track freight

and personnel using radio frequency

identification technologies and an

onboard network.

THE BOEING CH-47 is definitely the

workhorse of military helicopter freight.With its ability to carry up to 6.3t, the

aircraft does the heavy lifting for the UK,

US, Canada, Australia and many other air

arms around the world.

In Afghanistan, the types tandem rotor

system allows it to carry heavy loads to

higher altitudes in hot conditions that

would typically limit lift capability,

according to Raymond Haddad.

The Chinook can also conduct unique

pinnacle landings that allow cargo to be

loaded and offloaded with just the aft

landing gear or gears in contact with the

ground, said Haddad.

Over the years, Boeing has improved

the Chinooks cargo handling capabilities.

For example, the CH-47D and its

subsequent models employ a triple

external cargo hook system, rather than

the initial single hook point.

This provides many advantages over the

[previous] system, Haddad explained. First,

it permits an external load to be suspended

from two or three different attachment

points, which reduces the pendulum affect

and the ability for the external load to spin.

This change allows the Chinook to fly faster

and be more manoeuvrable.

Secondly, the triple external hook

gives the operator the ability to carry

three separate loads in one sortie, weight

permitting, rather than flying three separate

sorties or using three helicopters, he

continued. The triple hook also gives the

operator the ability to drop off external

loads individually at different destinations.

More recently, Boeing has improved the

Chinooks internal freight loading capability

by adding a roller system that stays hidden

until required.

With the original roller system

the rollers get in the way when loading

passengers or cargo that is not palletised,

Haddad said. As well, the traditional

system used locks that fitted between

the pallet and the rollers. Depending

upon the load on the pallet, it may be

difficult for the crew chief to install these

The CH-47F is the current iteration of

the Chinook. (Photo: US Army)

CARGO HAULING


21/48


22/48

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23/48

Weightycontenders

TRANSPORT HELICOPTERS

Any examinationof the benefits

that medium and

heavy-lift rotorcraftcan bring to

modern militaryoperations must

inevitably focus on

the conflict inAfghanistan,

Tony Skinnerreports.


Across the coalition of countries that makeup NATOs International Security AssistanceForce (ISAF), a range of enhancements have been

introduced to help cargo and troop transport

helicopters operate in Afghanistans extreme

environments. Commanders, meanwhile, have

quickly recognised the advances of the more

modern airframes now deployed in-theatre.

Features such as more powerful engines,

automatic digital flight control systems, digital

mapping, and mission planning systems, have

greatly assisted the ability of aviators to operate

such helicopters in the challenging hot, high and

dusty conditions of the southwest Asian country.

A range of medium and heavy-lift aircraft are

operated across Afghanistan supporting ISAF

operations. As well as the venerable CH-47

Chinook flown by several countries, the US and

Germany operate CH-53s while the French

armed forces fly EC725s. A number of operators

fly the Mil Mi-17 (see also p12-15 of this issue),

and heavy-lift requirements are sometimes met

by privately operated Mi-26s.

Lessons are being constantly learned purely

due to the sheer pressure that many of the

operators are being placed under. Although a

steady working rhythm has been established

after nine years of combat operations, in terms

of maintenance, spare parts availability, and

ensuring arriving units are equipped with the

requisite information to do their job, the

simple fact is that many of the airframes being

operated were never designed for the number

of flying hours they are now being subjected to.

As a generic helicopter case in point, the US

Armys OH-58 Kiowa Warrior scout helicopters,

which have an average airframe age of 39 years,

were originally designed for an operational

tempo (the number of flying hours each aircraft

performs each month) of around 14 hours, but

are pushing 85-90 hours per aircraft per month

across Afghanistan and Iraq.

STRESSED COMMUNITIES

While such metrics might not be as extreme

for the larger cargo and troop transport types,

many of these were being maintained at

mission-capable rates of greater than 80%.

The US Armys CH-47F, for example, is being

operated at just over 70 hours per aircraft per

month (see also Tail Spin on p44).

One type flying well beyond its programmed

rates is the US Marine Corps (USMC) fleet of

CH-53D Sea Stallion and CH-53E Super Stallion

heavy-lift helicopters.

According to a statement to the US Senate

Armed Services Committee (SASC) by Lt Gen

George Trautman, USMC Deputy Commandant

for Aviation in April, the CH-53 was one of the

corps most stressed aviation communities.

CH-53s, providing vital lift of heavy

equipment, supplies and troops, are currently

deployed in Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa and

Haiti, and are flying with marine expeditionary

units, he said. Since ramping up operations

Thundering into a desert landing zone,

the CH-53E Super Stallion remains the

backbone of the US Marine Corps

heavy-lift capability for expeditionary

air wings at sea and on the ground in

Afghanistan. (Photo: USMC)

Marine corps MV-22s are quickly taking on the medium-lift role from the

CH-46 Sea Knights they are replacing in the inventory. (Photo: USMC)


24/48



in Afghanistan in May 2009, these aircraft have

flown nearly 11,000 hours, carried more than

62,000 passengers, and moved over 10 million

pounds of cargo in support of coalition forces in

Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa, while flyingwell above their programmed rates in austere,

expeditionary conditions.

To keep the platforms viable until the

forthcoming CH-53K enters service, the

US FY2011 budget requested $62.1 million

for a range of both near- and mid-term

enhancements for the aircraft. These included

the integration of Force XXI Battle Command

Brigade and Below (FBCB2), an integrated

mechanical diagnostic system, T64 Engine

Reliability Improvement Program kits and

directional IR countermeasures (DIRCM).

This is in addition to the installation of IR

missile warning systems and processors on

CH-53E, CH-46E and CH-53D helicopters under

an $80 million contract with Northrop Grumman

that was announced in July. The company is also

delivering Guardian laser transmitter assemblies

and control indicator units as part of the Large

Aircraft IR Countermeasures (LAIRCM) effort to

provide IR threat protection for a range of

platforms, including the CH-53.

ULTIMATE HEAVY-LIFT

With expeditionary heavy-lift capabilities

projected to continue to be a key component

of USMC operations in the future, the CH-53K

is regarded as a critical future asset for the

service. The programme, which passed its

critical design review in July, received $577

million in funding under the FY2011 budget

to continue system development and

demonstration on the aircraft.

Trautman said that, when introduced,

the CH-53K would provide unparalleled lift

capability under high-altitude, hot-weather

conditions similar to those found in Afghanistan,

thereby greatly expanding the commanders

operational reach. The CH-53K will transport

27,000lb of external cargo out to a range of

110 nautical miles, nearly tripling the CH-53Es

lift capability under similar environmental

conditions while fitting under the same

shipboard footprint, he told the SASC.

Maintainability and reliability enhancements

of the CH-53K will decrease recurring operating

costs significantly, and will improve aircraft

efficiency and operational effectiveness over

the current CH-53E.

The CH-53E has already carried out several

high-profile heavy-lift missions in Afghanistan

that would be beyond the capability of most

other aircraft. In June 2010, a Super Stallion with

Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 466 was

tasked with recovering a UK Merlin HC3

assigned to 1419 Flight from a forward

operating base in the Lashkar Gar area of

Helmand Province after a hard landing.

In order for the CH-53E to be able to lift

the 8,000kg Merlin, an entire maintenance

department removed some 900kg worth of

gear, including the auxiliary fuel tanks, fuel

probe, troop seats, ramp, cargo winch and

utility hoist. The Merlin was recovered less than

18 hours later.

The squadron had carried out a similar

TRAP (tactical recovery of aircraft or personnel)

mission in May, recovering a US Army MH-47G

Chinook that made a hard landing near

Kandahar. As this was a much larger aircraft,

more than 2,500kg of equipment first had to be

removed from the CH-53E.

Although the CH-47 Chinook and Russian-

made Mi-26 could potentially also have carried

out the lift, the USMC has claimed that it was

the only service capable of reconfiguring its

aircraft and performing the mission on such

short notice.

Meanwhile, recent operations of the MV-22B

Osprey in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as during

the humanitarian relief effort in Haiti, have gone

some way to placating its critics, who have for

years been critical of the cost of the programme

and length of time it took to get the aircraft in

service. More flight hours have been flown on

the aircraft in the last two years than in the

previous 18 combined.

COST CULTURE

In his statement to the SASC, Trautman

expressed satisfaction with the USMCs premier

medium-lift assault support platform, but noted

that some challenges operating the aircraft

remained. With the MV-22 initially experiencing

lower than expected reliability of some

components, higher operational and support

costs were being incurred.

Despite our readiness challenges, the MV-22

squadron in Afghanistan continues to meet

mission tasking through hard work and

aggressive sparing. We are meeting mission

taskings, but only at supply, maintenance and

operating costs that are inconsistent with our

expeditionary nature and cost-conscious

culture. Trautman said the service had adopted

aggressive logistics and support plans to

increase the durability and availability of parts

and lower operating costs.

One model that could be followed is that of

the CH-47 Chinook, which has now flown more

than 125,000 hours to date across the two

theatres of operations. (For more on Chinook

developments see p16-18 and p40-43).

Snuff Thompson, US Army fleet manager for

the CH-47, told Defence Helicopterthat

Eurocopters Super Puma family has proved an

impressive seller in the medium-lift market.

This seems to be continuing with the EC725.

This example is one of 50 ordered by the

Brazilian armed forces. (Photo: Eurocopter)

The UK deployed

its Merlins to

Afghanistan in

December 2009

to boost the

number of rotary-

wing assets available

to ground forces in

the region. (Photo:

Crown Copyright)


25/48

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26/48



when the service began conflict operations in

2001, it was operating from peacetime stores

and as a result had significant parts availability

issues across the board. He said that an increase

in funding went some way to alleviate this, as

did more accurate forecasting of what parts

were needed and where.

We now have almost ten years of combat

operations. We have increased funding, and

statistical modelling is much higher fidelity

today than it was in 2003, 2005 and even as late

as 2007, he explained. I go to meetings every

week with the command group, and when we

started these meetings we would spend a

couple of hours each week going over the parts

shortages that we would have. The last 18

months or so, I am told those parts are at this

location and it will be at their location at about

this date. They have done just a great job in

procuring and moving spare parts to support

the effort in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

Meanwhile, to increase the amount of

helicopter lift available to UK forces in

Afghanistan, the first RAF Merlin HC3s

deployed in-theatre at the end of 2009.

Before going operational, the Merlins were

given a range of enhancements, including

further ballistic protection, a new DIRCM system

and an upgraded missile approach warning

receiver. The UK MoD is also looking to develop

a solution for degraded visual environments

such as brownouts for its Chinooks and Merlins.

When they returned from Afghanistan in

mid-2010, members of 1419 Flight RAF spoke of

the complexities of operating the helicopters in-

theatre. The sheer number of aircraft operating

across the country, the vast number of radio

calls needed in order to transit from one

operating base to another, and the variable

condition of landing zones, were some of the

challenges that confronted new crews.

FRENCH SUCCESS

For the EC725 Caracals of the French armed

forces, deployment to Afghanistan has also

been a veritable baptism of fire. Since its

deployment in November 2006, the Caracal has

been in heavy use supporting the operations of

Regional Command (RC) East and RC Capital,

including during the aftermath of the infamous

ambush of French troops in the Uzbeen Valley in

August 2008, when two helicopters flew

uninterrupted for 14 hours to bring in supplies

and extract the killed and injured.

Currently, three Caracals are deployed with

French forces in Afghanistan two crews fromthe 4th Special Forces Helicopter Regiment

(RHFS) (army aviation) and one from the 1/67

Helicopter Squadron Pyrnes (air force).

According to Maj Krier, until June this year a

Caracal squadron leader with 4th RHFS at Pau,

the Caracals were maintained as a 35-hour-per-

month asset. He said the priorities for the utility

helicopter included tactical troop lift, medevac (if

it is not undertaken by dedicated US helicopters),

tactical personnel transport, logistic support and

immediate personnel extraction. The Caracal

could also be used as a reconnaissance asset or

as a C2 platform.

He said the aircrafts automatic flight control

system (AFCS) had given pilots the confidence to

carry out complicated mission profiles, even in

severe environmental conditions. For instance,

in winter conditions, you may have a sort of dry

haze which reduces visibility. The mapping

system and the inertial GPS are useful to allow the

crew to locate themselves, while the IR camera

provides a clear picture of the landscape. Crews

can go beyond what they were able to do

previously, Krier told Defence Helicopter.

He also highlighted the role of the aircrafts IR

lamp, IR camera and positional landing system,

which greatly aid operations in reduced light

conditions. In icy conditions, if they lose sight of

the ground, the joint AFCS and hybrid GPS are

able to ensure instrument flight rules procedures

by themselves to Bagram or Kabul. Consequently,

with a de-icing system on the blades, the crews

acknowledge that they have the possibility to

come back.

Likewise in brownout conditions, the accuracy

of the AFCS allows pilots to come to a controlled

hover and gradually touch down in incremental

steps, with a crew member guiding the aircraft

from the open rear door.

In summer conditions, as with every

helicopter, payload is reduced due to high

temperatures and altitude. Crews must mind

sometimes the technical limits of the aircraft and

the AFCS definitely helps to point out these limits,

Krier pointed out. But the crews are aware that

they have to be able to operate without the

AFCS. Thus, they always choose the best track to

approach the landing zone, allowing them to go

around or escape. DH

The Marine Corps CH-53 will be phased out to be

replaced by the Kilo-model of the aircraft which

has recently completed its critical design review.

(Photo: USMC)

Having sold their Chinooks to

the Netherlands in the 1990s,

Canada re-entered the CH-47

club in early 2009 by purchasing

six former US Army examples,

but has a contract to purchase

15 new F model aircraft. The

first will be delivered in 2013.

(Photo: Canadian Forces)


27/48

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28/48

Private

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A year after operationsbegan at Frances Helidax,

Tony Osborne charts

the progress of Europesnewest military helicoptertraining scheme.

Helidax's EC120s are

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