Aircraft/Marines

Sea Power, Jan 2002

FUSELAGE LENGTH: ..........42.3 feet

OVERALL LENGTH: .... .......57.25 feet

WEIGHT: ................... empty, 6,370 pounds; maximum weight loaded. 10.500 pounds

SPEED: ............................maximum, 150 mph

RANGE: ............................172 nautical miles

POWER PLANT ................two Pratt & Whitney T400-CP-400 turboshaft engines

ARMAMENT: .....................7.62mm or .50-caliber machine guns, 2.75inch rockets

CREW: .............two pilots, two crew members

CONTRACTOR: ..................Bell Helicopter Textron

H-1 UPGRADE PROGRAM

The H-1 Upgrade Program-a key modernization effort designed to resolve existing safety deficiencies and significantly enhance the operational effectiveness of the AH-1W and UH-1N-is extending the service life and increasing the operational capabilities of both aircraft through improvements in crew and passenger survivability, payload, power available, endurance, range, airspeed, maneuverability, and supportability. The Marine Corps plans to remanufacture 180 existing AH-lWs and 100 UH-1 N/HH-1N (redesignated the AH1Z and UH-tY, respectively) aircraft with a new, four-bladed composite rotor system, a performance-matched transmission, a four-bladed tail rotor, upgraded landing gear, and a fully integrated glass cockpit. Moreover, the commonality gained between the AH-1Z and the equivalent UH-IY (projected to be 85 percent) are expected to significantly reduce life-cycle costs and the aircraft's logistical footprint, while increasing the maintainability and deployability of both aircraft. The H-1 Upgrade Program continues in Engineering and Manufacturing Development. The first AH-1Z made its first flight in December 2000. First flight of the UH-1 Y was scheduled for December 2001. Initial operational capability for the AH-1Z is projected to be fiscal year 2006.

CH-46E SEA KNIGHT

BRIEFING: Since its introduction in 1964, the CH-46 has been the Marine Corps' primary combat assault helicopter. The CH-46E's primary mission is to provide medium-lift assault helicopter transport of troops, weapons, equipment, and supplies. CH-46E squadrons currently deploy as the parent squadron of the aviation combat element (ACE) of the Marine Expeditionary Units that routinely deploy on board amphibious assault ships to the Mediterranean, Persian Gulf, and Pacific Rim. CH-46Es supported Marine Corps troops in combat inside Afghanistan in 2001. There are currently 14 active HMM squadrons-two forward-deployed to Okinawa, Japan-of 12 aircraft each, and two reserve HMM squadrons of 12 aircraft each. HMX-1 CH46Es support the presidential airlift requirement. There are more than 228 CH46Es in the Corps' inventory. The Marine Corps also operates six HH-46Ds as air station search-and-rescue aircraft. Several programs are in progress to keep the CH-46 flying and improve its warfighting capability over the next decade. The Engine Reliability Improvement Program (ERIP)-intended to arrest and reverse the declining reliability of the T58-GE-16 engine-is fully funded starting in FY 2002. Essentially providing new engine cores and overhauled accessory sections, ERIP will provide remanufactured engines to the fleet over a four-year period. The Dynamic Component Upgrade (DCU) program-a safety modification intended to improve the reliability of the CH-46E and remove burdensome flight restrictions or limitations-is fully funded and scheduled to conclude in FY 2003. The DCU includes replacement of rotor heads, critical components in the flight-control system, and certain drive-train and transmission components. Additionally, several safety OSI Ps (Operational System Improvement Programs) are ongoing to further aid in ensuring that the CH-46 remains airworthy. These OSIPs include replacement of the utility hydraulic pump, engine-condition control-system upgrade, and electrical-- system upgrades. The Communications/Navigation Control System (CNCS) that has been installed in CH-46Es includes the incorporation of an integrated GPS navigation system and the ARC-210 radio, a combination UHF/VHF radio that is the current standard jam-resistant communication system required to operate in the Joint/NATO environment. Another modification is the night-vision goggle head-up display (NVG HUD), a significant night-fighting and safety enhancement for the CH-46E that will help keep the pilots' scans out of the cockpit during critical flight regimes such as shipboard takeoffs and landings and improve their ability to operate at low altitudes at night. The CH46E is planned for replacement by the MV-22B Osprey.