NEW TECHNOLOGY | TRAINING | IN THE FIELD | At HOME | At WAR | AROUND THE WORLD 2009 MESSAGE FROM JACK DOUGHERTY THE CHINOOK CONTINUES TO SET MISSION STATEMENT: An integrated team NEW STANDARDS IN PERFORMANCE bringing together the best of Boeing Welcome to the 2009 edition of Chinook News. This issue provides an exceptional look at the performance of what many have come to call the ultimate aircraft — the Chinook. to provide systems and solutions nce again the aircraft Beyond that, the number of MH-47G We also are looking forward to a contract that empower the soldiers Odemonstrated exceptional models delivered to our Special award from Canada for 16 aircraft. That, performance in combat theaters, Forces customer has reached 45, and coupled with the Italy proposal, will bring of today and tomorrow. logging more than 90,000 flight- these aircraft are deployed in support orders for more than 30 new aircraft hours in Operation Iraqi Freedom, of Operation Enduring Freedom and OIF. to the Chinook program. We expect with outstanding readiness levels and contract awards by early 2009. number of missions flown. Also this On the business front, in mid-2009 we year, Chinook units responded to will begin delivery to the Netherlands of We are happy to report that the Chinook humanitarian needs around the program was awarded a five-year world — fighting forest fires contract valued at $4.3 billion across California, providing dollars for 191 CH-47Fs plus aid to flood and earthquake options for 24 additional aircraft. victims and again deploying The multiyear award will reduce high on Mount Rainier to rescue overall program cost and will climbers stranded above 10,000 accelerate delivery of this critical feet in a storm. asset to our soldiers around the world. The multiyear award will On the program side, we yield a cost savings of hundreds of delivered 36 Chinooks by the millions of dollars for the U.S. Army close of last year. That’s a level and the taxpayers. This award also not seen in nearly 15 years. builds security into our production We’ve taken some bumps and schedule for the next five years, bruises along the way, but our stabilizing the work force for team continues to do the right Boeing and our supplier partners thing, focusing on quality and in more than 45 states across delivering on our commitment to the country. Finally, it ensures that our warfighters. JACK DOUGHERTY, VICE PRESIDENT, H-47 PROGRAMS warfighters are outfitted with the highest quality equipment available To date, Boeing Rotorcraft to do their job. Systems has delivered more than the first international CH-47F. We now Now, I invite you to enjoy this issue of 50 CH-47Fs to the U.S. Army and has have a collaborative agreement with Chinook News, which presents stories fully trained and equipped three units. AgustaWestland for the manufacture on Chinook performance in combat and Since the aircraft received its combat- of 16 new CH-47Fs for the Italian civilian operations and in humanitarian ready certification from the Army in army. We have a long and successful missions around the world. 2007, the F model has completed history with Agusta, which sold more several thousand flight-hours. It also than 150 CH-47s in the Mediterranean SOLDIERS FIRST! has completed several deployments, region. This new agreement will have an including a mission to Liberia in support immediate impact on Italy and opens of the president, and has deployed for possibilities for expanding business the first time to Iraq in support of OIF. throughout the region. 3 CHINOOK NEWS 2009 34 Crews of ‘Big Windy’ keep CHINooK 16 soldiers, cargo moving in Iraq 36 Chinooks: Workhorse of NEWS Aviation 2009 38 Army Reserve Aviation Unit of the Year 7 Col. Newman Shufflebarger 39 Toby Keith, frequent flyer 8 PM Hardware Update: Cargo Helicopters Providing Heavy 40 Chinooks still going strong Lift to Warfighters 42 Midnight Flyers 12 CH-47F Chinook Fielded 46 26th Brigade Support by US Army’s 4th Infantry Battalion supplies front lines Division 47 Chinook = unmatched 14 CAB soldiers ship out, bring versatility new choppers to combat 49 RAF Chinook combat 16 Chinook pilot discusses operations Helmand Province, MH-47G performance: Afghanistan Flying the Mighty G 26 30 52 Italian Special Forces water 20 The 1st Cavalry Black Cats deployment exercise field the new CH-47F Chinook 54 Chinooks lift Dutch 22 Chinook crews move, Afghanistan mission to great supply troops heights 24 CH-47D bows out at Fort Hood 42 26 Soldiers deploy new Chinooks for Bush’s Africa visit 28 A close-up look at the 49 CH-47F Digital Automatic Flight Control System 29 Cargo helicopter pilots get lift with training 30 Chinooks dispatched for high mountain rescue 32 National Guard helps attack California wildfires by air and land 28 58 Aussies in Afghanistan ‘Clarabelle’ takes on the Taliban 64 CH-47 photos and captions 66 Messages from the 22 factory floor MESSAGE FROM COL. NEWMAN SHUFFLEBARGER CHINooK NEWS 2009 TEAM CHINOOK CONTINUES to PRovIDE IS PUBLISHED BY BoEING RotoRCRAFT SYSTEMS FOR THE UNITED STATES ARMY AND THE WORLDWIDE CHINOOK TEAM THE WORLD WITH THE NEXT GENERATION OF PREMIER ALL-MISSION, HEAVY-LIFT HELIcoPTER CAPABILITY. he soldiers who fly and fight with 2008. As of mid-July 2008, the U.S. demonstrate the Chinooks’ superior EDITOR PHotoGRAPHY TEAM Tthe CH 47Ds in the demanding Army has taken delivery of 48 CH-47Fs. capability with an operational deployment Tom Marinucci Bob Ferguson, Tom Marinucci, conditions of Operation Iraqi to Africa to support President Bush’s visit Dick Ruhlman, Fred Troilo Bravo Company (Varsity), 7th Battalion, Freedom have been joined by the in February 2008. RotoRCRAFT SYSTEMS 101st Aviation Regiment, 159th Combat CH-47Fs of Bravo Company, EDItoRIAL StAFF DESIGN Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division Two key advocates of the CH-47 Elizabeth Hayes, Donna McGinley, Jennifer Terrill 2nd Battalion, 4th Aviation program, former Army Jack Satterfield Regiment, 4th Combat Aviation Acquisition Executive Claude DIREctoR, H-47 PROGRAMS Brigade. Our soldiers and OTHER CONTRIBUTORS Jack Dougherty Bolton and Vice Chief of Staff Chinooks continue to excel Dick Ruhlman, Cathy Gramling, of the Army Gen. Richard Kimberly Tiscione, Robert E. Leonard, and have surpassed 170,000 VICE PRESIDENT / GENERAL MANAGER, Cody, had the opportunity to LT. COL. Jerry Dwyer, SGT, 1st Class Brent ROTORCRAFT SYSTEMS combat flight-hours since 2001. Hunt, SGT Jason Dangel, SGT. Nathan Chuck Allen fly the CH-47F. Cody also had Hoskins, SGT. Jeanne Toloza, Bravo Company achieved unit- occasion to experience the Patrick Allen, Greg Davis equipped status on March 3, newly activated coupling of the 2008, and immediately began flight director, which allowed him preparing for its Iraq combat to fly hands-free from Redstone deployment. The company Arsenal, Ala., to a 30-foot departed for theater in May hover above the runway at the 2008 and arrived in Iraq to airport in Fayetteville, Tenn. begin missions in July. The unit The hard work and synergy of has maintained a robust Team Chinook made possible 90 percent operational the enormous technological readiness rate while in Iraq. The challenge of integrating this weapon system continues to system that reduces pilot perform beyond expectation, workload. validating the hard work of With a focus on meeting the Team Chinook members. COL. NEWMAN SHUFFLEBARGER, CARGO HELICOPTER needs of the warfighter, the U.S. Immediately on completion OFFICE PROJECT MANAGER Army Cargo Helicopter Project of new equipment training for Office and Team Chinook 2-4 Aviation, the fielding team advanced the concept of a (Air Assault) became the first unit began training the pilots and maintainers Chinook upgrade that evolved into an equipped with the CH-47F in July 2007 from the third unit equipped, the 2nd advanced, highly capable aircraft that will and continues to train for deployment Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st serve as a U.S. Army multimission asset in support of Operation Enduring Cavalry Division. The unit will undergo well into the future. Freedom. Varsity also had a chance to new equipment training through August ADDRESS CORRESPONDENCE TO EDITOR, CHINOOK NEWS, THE BOEING COMPANY, P.O. BOX 16858, MC10-18, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19142-0858 OR E-MAIL THOMAS G [email protected] OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT HTTP://WWW.BOEING.COM 7 CHINOOK NEWS 2009 UPDATE PM HARDWARE UPDATE: CARGO HELICOPTERS PROVIDING HEAVY LIFT TO WARFIGHTERS BY LTC THOMAS H. TODD III The CH-47 Chinook Helicopter continues to be the world’s dominant heavy lift aircraft for critical combat, combat support and combat service support missions. During our Nation’s current conflict, the Chinook has continued to excel in its traditional heavy lift missions, and in addition has become the assault aircraft of choice in the high altitude operational environment of Afghanistan. ver the past year U.S. Army Chinook units flew 42,125 While the “Renewed” CH-47Fs also receive the new Ohours in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and airframes, CAAS and DAFCS, they make use of Operation Iraqi Freedom, while maintaining an operational 116 recapitalized components from retired CH-47Ds such as readiness rate of over 70%. The CH-47 also supported rotor systems, drive systems and landing gear. many humanitarian missions throughout the United States. Most recent operations within the continental U.S include The CH-47F began Operational Testing (OT) at Fort numerous high altitude search and rescue operations, and Campbell, KY in February 2007. By April, it had successfully numerous fire fighting missions in the Southeast and West. completed more than 60 hours of testing, simulating a wide range of mission scenarios – consisting of air assault, THE CH-47F: THE NEXT GENERATION CHINooK combat resupply and transport missions in a Global War The past year was a remarkable one in the history of the on Terror (GWOT) mission environment.