Boeing to Upgrade US Special Ops Chinooks With Flight-Control System
The US Special Operations Command has awarded Boeing a $55.4-million contract to equip MH-47G Block II Chinook helicopters with an advanced flight-control augmentation system.
Under the firm-fixed-price order, Boeing will supply the Active Parallel Actuator System (APAS) and associated components. Work is expected to be completed by August 2033.
Developed by Boeing in collaboration with BAE Systems, APAS is designed to reduce pilot workload, improve safety, and enhance aircraft control during demanding maneuvers. It interfaces with the Digital Automatic Flight Control System (DAFCS) already fitted to CH-47F and MH-47G helicopters.
Designed for non-fly-by-wire aircraft, APAS provides tactile cues and force feedback through the existing flight-control mechanisms, alerting pilots as they approach aircraft limits. This allows them to maneuver closer to the edge of the flight envelope while maintaining greater control and task accuracy.
MH-47G Block II
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, according to the company. The MH-47G Block II was designed to be the first Chinook variant to receive APAS as standard equipment.
The variant is operated by the US Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, known as the Night Stalkers. It features terrain-following radar, aerial refueling capability, advanced navigation systems, and extended fuel tanks for long-range, low-level infiltration missions.
“Special Operations Aviation performs some of the most challenging missions imaginable,” MH-47G project manager and former US Army 160th Special Operations Chinook pilot Jason Hickman said.
“Technology like APAS fits perfectly in that portfolio and can work fantastically in other mission profiles, whether it’s a tactically high-risk urban mission with the best pilots in the world at the controls or a tactically low-risk mission with an inexperienced crew.”
