US Army Special Operations Command's workhorse helicopter is getting upgrades to replace parts that are nearly 50 years old

• The Chinook has been the US Army's workhorse transport helicopter for decades.
• US special operators rely on their variant, the MH-47, for missions at night and behind enemy lines.
• The Pentagon recently awarded a contract to replace aging parts on the newest version, the MH-47G.

The Chinook has been the US Army's workhorse transport helicopter for decades, and US special operators have long relied on their variant, the MH-47, for nighttime raids and missions far behind enemy lines.

The Chinook was a mainstay of the counterterrorism and counterinsurgency campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past two decades. The MH-47G, the latest version, could also be valuable in a conventional conflict with near-peer adversaries, like China and Russia.

As such, the US special-operations community's workhorse helicopter is getting upgrades to replace parts that are nearly 50 years old.

Modernization

The Chinook isn't a young helicopter. Designed and built by Boeing, it entered service in the 1960s, and its first variants saw action in the Vietnam War. By the mid-1990s, the Army's CH-47A, B, and C models had been upgraded to the CH-47D version.

US Army Special Operations Command has used Chinooks for several decades. Early versions had modifications for special operations. In 2020, Brig. Gen. Phil Ryan, commander of US Army Special Operations Aviation Command, said the unit's oldest Chinook arrived in 1966 and was still in the air with 11,000 flight hours.

The MH-47 variant has been used by the Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment since at least the 1980s, when the MH-47D was delivered. It was followed by the MH-47E, the first prototype of which was built in 1991.

Although the fleet has been modernized, the components of several aircraft are aging, including on the newer MH-47Gs, which have been delivered over the past several years. The MH-47Gs have upgrades that include digital avionics, allowing for better communications and navigation, including during low-level nighttime flying.

Two decades of combat in the Middle East have added to the natural wear and tear on the Chinooks. To address this issue, the Pentagon in March awarded Boeing a contract worth nearly $18.75 million to replace aging parts on the MH-47G.

According to the Department of Defense, the contract is for procurement of "the long lead components and parts" for MH-47Gs and "supports a requirement for replacement of the aging fleet of remanufactured MH-47G aircraft that has airframe components dating back more than 45 years."

The upgrades are also intended to "maximize commonality" with the CH-47F Block II, the newest version of the conventional Chinook, which will make maintenance easier for the Army.

The Army also recently introduced the Block II upgrade package for the MH-47G. The package includes a lighter but more rigid airframe and improved rotor blades that can produce more lift.

The MH-47G Chinook

The MH-47G Chinook was widely used in both Iraq and Afghanistan, though it was in the latter conflict that the heavy-lift helicopter really shone.

Most of the combat in Iraq took place in urban centers, requiring small and agile helicopters, such as the MH-6 Little Bird and MH-60 Blackhawk. But Afghanistan's vast expanses and mountainous terrain were ideal for the MH-47. Indeed, the special-operations helicopter is one of the few that was able to fly effectively at the high altitudes found in much of Afghanistan.

The MH-47 Chinook's main role is to stealthily insert and exfiltrate special operators over long ranges. It can carry over 40 commandos and their gear to the target, making it an essential platform for large-scale operations.

Powered by two powerful Honeywell T-55-GA-714A engines that can crank up more than 9,300 horsepower— or about 62 times the horsepower of an average car — the MH-47G can reach speeds of just under 200 mph. It has a maximum operational range of about 390 miles.

As a helicopter designed for assault missions, or to put special operators as close to the target as possible, the MH-47G Chinook packs quite a punch, including M240 machine guns and M-134 mini-guns that can fire thousands of rounds in less than a minute. The MH-47G also carries the potent AN/AAQ-24 LAIRCM countermeasures system to defend against heat-seeking missiles.

The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, nicknamed "the Night Stalkers," is the cream of the crop when it comes to US military aviation.

The unit was created after the failed attempt to rescue American diplomats held hostage in Tehran in 1980. Since then, Night Stalkers have distinguished themselves in every US military campaign they've fought in, including operations in Panama, Iraq, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Syria.

Stavros Atlamazoglou is a defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate. He is working toward a master's degree in strategy and cybersecurity at Johns Hopkins' School of Advanced International Studies.