The Boeing Co., Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, was awarded a $212,629,000 cost-plus fixed fee and firm-fixed-price modification to an existing delivery order contract to procure six MH47-G renew rotary wing aircraft and eight spare shipsets in support of U.S. Special Operations Command. Fiscal 2021 procurement; and aircraft procurement, U.S. Army funds in the amount of $212,629,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The majority of the work will be performed in Ridley Park. This delivery order modification is a noncompetitive award and is in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302.1. U.S. Special Operations Command, Tampa, Florida, is the contracting activity.
The Boeing MH-47G is a special operations variant of the CH-47 Chinook multi-role, heavy-lift helicopter. The helicopter is used in heavy-lift missions such as the transportation of troops, ammunition, vehicles, equipment, fuel and supplies, as well as civil and humanitarian relief missions. The MH-47G can conduct long-range missions at low level, in adverse weather conditions during the day and at night. It is in service with the US Army Special Operations Aviation Command (USASOC). The first new-build MH-47G helicopter was delivered to the USASOC in September 2014. The MH-47G modernisation programme is aimed at delivering a mix of remanufactured and new MH-47Gs to the USASOC.
The MH-47G incorporates a monolithic, machine-framed fuselage integrating long-range fuel tanks, and an extendable refuelling probe to receive fuel mid-air from fixed-wing tankers. The helicopter also possesses advanced cargo-handling capabilities. The fuselage of the MH-47G measures 15.9m-long and 4.8m-wide. The overall length of the helicopter with unfolded rotors is 30.18m. It has a maximum gross weight of 24,494kg and can transport a useful load of 11,340kg. The helicopter is powered by two Honeywell T55-GA-714A engines, which develop a maximum power output of 3,529kW each. The engines are equipped with infrared (IR) exhaust suppressors to reduce the IR visibility of the helicopter. The helicopter has the capacity to carry 7,828l of fuel. The power plant provides a maximum speed of 315km/h and long-range fuel tanks ensure a maximum mission radius of 630km.
The MH-47G variant features a fully integrated digital cockpit management system. The cockpit accommodates a pilot and a co-pilot in a side-by-side arrangement. The night vision goggle-compatible glass digital cockpit features five liquid crystal multi-function displays (MFDs) and two control display units (CDUs). The helicopter is armed with two M134 7.62mm electrically operated, air-cooled mini guns and two M240 7.62mm belt-fed machine guns mounted on either side of the fuselage at the forward and rear sections. The defensive aids aboard the rotorcraft include a common missile warning system (CMWS), an integrated radio frequency countermeasures suite, a laser warning system and XM216 dark flares.
