Project

Explanation

Background

Support to the extant ADF CH-47D Chinook fleet is heavily leveraged off the US Army and supporting US industrial base. The US Army is currently several years into a program to replace its entire CH-47D fleet with the modernised CH-47F Chinook helicopter. Beyond 2017, adequate in service support and training from the US Army for the ADF CH-47D will no longer be available. Procurement of the CH-47F will ensure the ongoing viability of a Medium Lift Helicopter capability to the ADF.

The current ADF CH-47D fleet is small (original fleet of six reduced to five through attrition) and loss or severe damage of a single aircraft would result in a significant capability loss. The growth in fleet size (to seven) will enhance the robustness of the ADF Medium Lift Helicopter capability.

With the current ADF CH-47D fleet operationally committed in Afghanistan, a MOTS procurement strategy via the government-government FMS program, offered the lowest risk capability solution in terms of project cost and schedule.

Following Government Second Pass in February 2010, the Commonwealth signed a FMS case with the US Government in March 2010. The US Army is currently in contract negotiations with suppliers for the provision of the aircraft and all other supporting systems specified in the FMS case. Boeing is the principal Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for the CH-47F Chinook.

Uniqueness

The CH-47F aircraft sought through the Project is a MOTS US Army specification CH-47F Chinook helicopter. The only production configuration difference with the ADF aircraft is the inclusion of a rotor brake to allow for embarked amphibious operations. The rotor brake is a mature design that has been previously certified on other US Army and international variants of the Chinook.

A minimal number of ADF unique modifications will be installed on the aircraft following delivery. All of these modifications are mature designs which have previously been integrated and certified on the ADF CH-47D Chinook. Integration of these ADF modifications carries very low technical risk due to the high degree of commonality between the CH-47D and CH-47F aircraft.

The CH-47F is a modern digital aircraft. The Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS) and Digital Automatic Flight Control (DAFCS) are the two most significant upgrades included on the CH-47F Chinook over its predecessor. These systems have been certified by the US Army and Boeing and are currently in service.

The Project includes delivery of two Transportable Flight Proficiency Simulators (TFPS) to provide an organic ADF CH-47F simulator capability. Previous simulator training support for the CH-47D has been provided by the US Army.

The Cargo Helicopter Management Unit (CHMU) is the organisation responsible for acquiring the CH-47F capability. The CHMU is also responsible for the in-service support to the extant CH-47D capability as well as the CH-47F model following transition into service. Having the CHMU as the single acquisition and sustainment organisation provides synergistic benefits due to the high degree of commonality between the CH-47D and CH-47F aircraft.

Major Challenges

The current ADF CH-47D Chinook fleet is operationally committed in Afghanistan on Operation SLIPPER. Fielding a replacement CH-47F Chinook fleet in parallel with an operational deployment provides transition and capability realisation challenges.

Whilst the FMS program affords a significant number of advantages, delegation of many project management and contracting functions to the US Government, coupled with restrictive communications protocols, provides some management challenges to the ADF Project team for this schedule critical Project.

Other Current Projects/Sub-Projects

Project Air 9000 Chinook (CH-47F) Capability Alignment Program (CAP): A pre-second pass project that seeks to provide continuous upgrades to the ADF CH-47F fleet to ensure configuration alignment is maintained with the US Army CH-47F fleet. The benefits of configuration alignment are primarily reduced cost of ownership through the ability to leverage off US Army CH-47F support arrangements, increased interoperability and reduced obsolescence risks/costs attributable to operating a small orphan fleet of aircraft.