CASR

Canadian
American
Strategic
Review

Medium-to-Heavy-Lift Helicopters – CF Procurement – April 2006/Feb 2008 Chinooks!  PRT-à-Porter ?  Can CHAPS put a CF Medium-Lift Helicopter in Afghanistan before the  Current Mission  Ends? Lt-Col James Dorschner (US Army Reserve, Ret). Lt-Col Dorschner was with the Military Intelligence Branch (with Special Forces and Special Operations Forces).   He  is  now  a  Special  Correspondent  for  Jane's  Defense  Weekly. Chinooks for Afghanistan: How about Hurrying the Honkin' Huge Helicopters? [Ed:  A decade ago, the Netherlands took delivery of seven medium-lift Chinook helicopters formerly belonging to the Canadian Forces. Why?  Because the Tory government of Brian Mulroney decided it would rather have the cash. When Gen Rick Hillier became Chief of Defence Staff, the acquisition of  new  CF medium-lift helicopters was a priority. The Chinook was the aircraft he had in mind but  these helicopters are in hot demand. Is CHAPS a way to jump the long Chinook queue?] Update 11 Feb 2008: Two years later and DND is approaching the Pentagon about six  CH-47Ds  from the CHAPS program.  A CP report listed costs at $14M per heli- copter.  The reason for re-investigating CHAPS is that Canada has been unable to queue jump for its 16 new CH-47Fs (the Medium-to-Heavy-Lift Helicopter ACAN). With little progress on the CH-47Fs since that July 2006 ACAN,  MHLH is said to have stalled.  Full  Chinook production lines aside, difficulties include changes to specifications to 'Canadianize' the helicopter and to add features of special forces MH-47 model Chinooks.  Other roles have also been tacked on that  have nothing to do with the Afghan mission  which sparked  interest in CH-47s in the first place. Original article submitted  by  Lt-Col James Dorschner  ( USAR ) – April  2006 The Boeing/US Army  CH-47  Cargo Helicopter Alternate Procurement Strategy (or CHAPS)  program may offer the 'medium-lift' helicopter solution General Hillier is looking for, and there may even be a way to pay for it. According to Boeing, the CHAPS program allows third parties to buy US Army CH-47Ds (already earmarked for 'remanufacture' into advanced CH-47Fs) for roughly US $15 M each. This amount is about half the price of a new-build CH-47D and much less than a  'new-build'  CH-47F.  This more modern Chinook,  is selling  for about  US $35  to  40 million each. Under the CHAPS arrangement , the money from US Army CH-47D-model aircraft , sold by Boeing, can be used to 'top up' the Army funding which has already been budgeted for CH-47F remanufacture. The added revenue will allow the Army to buy a brand new CH-47F for each 'D sold. An aircraft  purchased under CHAPS will, of course, be overhauled and upgraded  to the latest CH-47D-model standards by Boeing prior to delivery.  Sales of US military aircraft are  usually complicated  by  restrictions. To simplify the CHAPS transactions, all 'Third Party ' purchases are handled as a Direct Commercial Sale (DCS),  rather than the usual  Foreign  Military Sale (FMS). Egypt is the first customer to sign up for CHAPS CH-47s, with Australia expected to follow shortly.  The Netherlands,  Spain,  Italy,  and  Great  Britain  may be next. The US Army would do whatever it could to facilitate a Canadian CHAPS deal to ensure a strong partner in Afghanistan, and reduce CF dependence on US Army Chinooks there. That support could include accelerated  CH-47 crew training. [1] By taking advantage of CHAPS  – and with training support from the US Army – Canada could field a small force of  four to five Chinooks to Afghanistan,  before the end of the current NATO deployment. DND officials have cited an overall requirement for some 24 medium-lift Chinooks. An interim force of nine to 12 overhauled CH-47Ds could bridge the current gap – both in delivery time and operational experience –  pending procurement of  new- build CH-47Fs, and  the ultimate 'rebuild' of the CF's CHAPS  'D models into 'Fs.

Financing a Canadian Forces Chinook Purchase through a Trade-in of Griffons Chinooks,  purchased  under  the  CHAPS  plan,  could  be  partly  subsidized by the sale of  around  40 CH-146 Griffon  utility  helicopters.  Stocks of these smaller helicopters are already in storage. In addition, more Griffons would be available if new Chinooks displaced some of the CH-146s,  currently operated by 1 Wing. [2] The Griffons – Bell Model 412s built at Mirabel, QC – are superb machines with a lot of life left in them yet. It just so happens that cash- rich Chile recently stated a requirement for Griffon-sized  helicopters to replace its air force UH-1H Hueys (an earlier model, single-engined Bell aircraft) and army Puma transport helicopters.[3] The Chilean air force and its navy already operate  a number of Bell Model 412s (the US Departments of Commerce and  State list used  Bell Model 412s as the aircraft of choice for Chile). [4]  Chile would dearly love to get hold of 40 Griffons, especially if the deal included spare parts, as well as a support link back to Mirabel. [Ed: Chilean Bell 412s are equipped more like USMC UH-1Ns than CF CH-146s, so there may well be work for Bell Canada re-fitting the aircraft.] At a rough value of US $2.5 million per used Griffon, the US $100 million for those 40 Canadian CH-146s would go a long way to helping to field an interim Chinook force. Remember: under CHAPS, each CH-47D costs only US $15 M ($17 M) each. CHAPS was begun to get around US Army accounting problems. The CF faces its own red-tape if it simply sells those surplus Griffons.  A major hurdle could be got around if Boeing would act as intermediary – accept CH-146s on behalf of Chile in lieu of  payment, making General Hillier happy by circumventing General Revenue. [ Update: As it turns out, the proceeds from the sale of surplus CF assets needn't be folded back into General Revenue. The RCMP Air Services, for example, has an arrangement with Treasury Board and  Public Works.  Any money gained from the sale of  RCMP aircraft goes directly towards the purchase of its replacement. Why could DND not negotiate a similar arrangement for a new Army Aviation branch?] [1] Dutch pilots spend 10 weeks qualifying on the Chinook at the Army Aviation Center  (Fort Rucker, AL) before returning to the Netherlands for tactical training. [2] The three frontline squadrons,  427,  408,  and  430,  plus  403,  the  Helicopter Operational Training Squadron, could each operate 10 Griffons and 6 Chinooks. [3] The Chilean Army (Ejército) has operated 15 Aérospatiale Pumas (SA-330C & SA-330F) battlefield transports  and  three Super Pumas (AS-332) VIP helicopters. The USAF lists current Ejército force levels at 10 Pumas and  three Super Pumas. The Pumas will, most likely, be replaced by  NH Industries NH-90s or  Mil Mi-17s. [4] It had been planned to replace the UH-1Hs (akin to CH-118 Iroquois) with S-70 Blackhawks  (the high cost of  S-70s meant that Chile had to consider used 412s). [Update: In Nov 2007, Chile decided to buy another 12 new Bell 412s from the US.]