Boeing Wins Contract to Upgrade US Special Ops Chinooks With Advanced Flight-Control System
The US Special Operations Command has awarded Boeing a $55.4-million contract to upgrade its MH-47G Block II Chinook helicopters with an advanced flight-control augmentation system.
The Active Parallel Actuator System (APAS) will be supplied by Boeing in collaboration with BAE Systems and is designed to reduce pilot workload, improve safety, and enhance aircraft control during demanding maneuvers.
Boeing began installing APAS on its Chinook production line earlier this year, fitting the system to a UK Extended Range Chinook in February and incorporating it into standard production in April. The MH-47G Block II was designed to be the first Chinook variant to receive APAS as standard equipment.
The upgrade is expected to benefit the US Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, known as the Night Stalkers, which operates the MH-47G Block II for long-range, low-level infiltration missions.