With Defense Department approval of a second multiyear production contract for the CH-47 Chinook Helicopter, the Army is now focused on negotiating the contract with manufacturer Boeing [BA], officials said.
Multiyear two certification was an effort led by Lt. Col. Brad Killen, product manager for CH-47, whose office assembled the documentation to show Army and Office of Secretary of Defense officials that a multiyear contract would save money and provide a needed Army and Defense Department asset, said Col. Robert Marion, Army Cargo Helicopter project manager, at a media briefing here at the Army Aviation Association of America annual professional forum and exhibition.
On Mar. 1, DoD acquisition chief Frank Kendall certified to Congress that a multiyear contract is the solution for an efficient and effective program, Marion said. “It’s a huge, huge accomplishment,” he said.
The first multiyear contract produced some $400 million in savings and Team Chinook, a combination of the Army product office and Boeing personnel was honored for it in October.
Now, it’s on to work toward the contract award, expected to be signed by Jan. 1, 2013, Killen said.
“Our procurement will be 155 Chinooks, 121 renews and 44 new build,” Marion said.
The second multiyear would complete the Army’s planned 440 ship fleet of F models by 2018, Killen said.
Of course, budget considerations could mean change, and the program would respond as the Army directed.
Mark Ballew, Boeing director of Mobility Rotorcraft Business Development, said there are some 400 suppliers on the program, Ballew said, and the company is focused on improvements aimed at the future, such as the $130 million investment in the factory to increase production rates.
A new office, CH-47 Modernization, was created in 2011 and led by Lt. Col. Joe Hoecherl, the product manager. It focuses on upgrades and improvements, such as the Cargo On Off Loading Systems, which will reduce workload and provide rapid inflight reconfiguration.
“In August we’ll start the flight test of that and start fielding the first unit in February 2013,” Hoecherl said. Boeing will receive a $10 million contract for production and delivery of 26 systems.
The office is also working on composite rotor blades for the near term that would provide more payload lift and further out looking at improvements for the transmission and engine.
Marion said despite the budget concerns and the loss of some money last year, the Chinook program is “managing fairly well,” and working with Army leaders to resolve some money. Procurement on some systems has slowed some due to adjustments to the fiscal year 2012 budget.
The overall goals of the program remain to support deployed soldiers, Marion said. Moving the F model Chinook to the units getting ready to deploy, getting them trained at their home station, preparing Chinooks for the new Combat Aviation Brigade next year, and finally modernization and Foreign Military Sales.
Ballew said the company remains committed and focused on ways to improve situational awareness, ease workload, and flight safety.