{"id":70234,"date":"2025-05-08T16:23:30","date_gmt":"2025-05-08T16:23:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2025\/05\/08\/upgrades-ahead-across-the-special-operations-helicopter-fleet\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T01:20:03","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T01:20:03","slug":"upgrades-ahead-across-the-special-operations-helicopter-fleet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air-warfare\/2025\/05\/08\/upgrades-ahead-across-the-special-operations-helicopter-fleet\/","title":{"rendered":"Upgrades ahead across the special operations helicopter fleet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">TAMPA, Fla. \u2013 Special operators are upgrading nearly every aspect of their helicopter fleet as they await the Army\u2019s newest addition to the rotary wing section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From the MH-6 light attack assault <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/smr\/sofic\/2024\/05\/08\/little-bird-helicopter-replacement-in-question-after-army-cancels-fara\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/smr\/sofic\/2024\/05\/08\/little-bird-helicopter-replacement-in-question-after-army-cancels-fara\/\">\u201cLittle Bird,\u201d<\/a> to the MH-60 medium attack assault \u201cBlackhawk,\u201d to the MH-47 heavy assault \u201cChinook,\u201d officials who develop the aircraft showcased ongoing upgrades Thursday at the Global SOF Foundation Special Operations Forces Week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Developers continue to tweak the Little Bird, the small but powerful aircraft unique to SOCOM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt is your streetfighter,\u201d said Paul Kylander, product manger of the aircraft for Program Executive Office-Rotary Wing. \u201cWhen operators want to get to your front door, this is the aircraft they use.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The \u201cR\u201d model project is finding ways to lighten the aircraft for greater speed and range by resetting the entire fleet\u2019s fuselage with lighter materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2025\/05\/06\/hegseth-champions-special-operations-as-the-force-for-todays-threats\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Hegseth.jpg_62329b.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Hegseth champions special operations as the force for today\u2019s threats<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">There has been a 200% increase in SOF missions over the past three years, the defense secretary said. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The project is also upgrading the cockpit for better avionics management and an advanced airborne tactical mission suite, Kylander said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those upgrades are part of ongoing efforts that will continue until 2034 for the aircraft. Then, plans call for a Block 4 upgrade or a possible divestment between 2035 to 2042.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They\u2019re also lightening main and auxiliary fuel tanks and both the attack and assault planks for the aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The MH-60 is seeing some of its own upgrades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Software updates, navigation tools for degraded visual environments, improved sensors, sensor data fusion and next generation tactical communications are currently being installed on the MH-60 fleet, said Lt. Col. Cameron Keogh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There\u2019s ongoing work to improve the engine life of the YT706 engine, and future efforts include building an open architecture common cockpit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the weapons side, the Blackhawk is adding the joint air-to-ground missile, a conformal lightweight armament wing, M-230 recoil dampers, the GAU-19 Gun Pod and a helmet display tracking system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those additions provide more options to Blackhawk crews. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHaving a quiver full of tools to do your job is pretty handy,\u201d Keogh said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Blackhawk will also see an improved crew chief seat, AN\/PQ-187 Silent Knight Radar nose door reconfiguration and upturned exhaust suppressor II, engine inlet barrier filter for dusty environments and the GE T901 Improved Turbine Engine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the heavy side, the MH47G Chinook is seeing increased demand for payloads, range and speed, said Lt. Col. Thomas Brewington, product manager for the Chinook at the PEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The oldest frame in the Chinook fleet will retire soon after 59 years of service, Brewington said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the aging platform is seeing its own set of advancements with a replacement of the existing flight control pallets, which augment manned flight by using a system called the Active Parallel Actuator Subsystem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The system \u201caugments manned flight by providing tactile cueing to prevent the pilot from exceeding an aircraft performance limit resulting in increased safety and operational usage while reducing pilot workload during the most critical stages of flight,\u201d Brewington said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An October 2024 test of the system allowed a \u201chands off\u201d landing on a predesignated point by a Chinook crew at the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, Brewington said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The system is a \u201cstepping stone\u201d to autonomous pilot assist, he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Better targeting, lighter airframes and more firepower are on the 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