Huntsville, Alabama / Cedar Rapids, Iowa — Collins Aerospace, an RTX business, has been awarded a U.S. Army contract worth up to $472 million to provide engineering services for the modernization and sustainment of the Army’s CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopter fleet.
The contract focuses on avionics work intended to integrate new capabilities, manage component obsolescence and support continued modernization of the aircraft. Work will be carried out in Huntsville, Alabama, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Focus on Avionics Modernization
The Army is using progressive upgrades to keep the Chinook’s avionics current rather than relying on a single major redesign. The effort includes work involving the Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS) and the Digital Advanced Flight Control System (DAFCS).
Collins Aerospace supplies CAAS for the CH-47F Chinook. The system integrates communications, navigation and mission subsystems through Collins’ Flight2 open-systems architecture and is designed to support future upgrades using open standards.
The Army’s Chinook modernization program also includes ongoing engineering and obsolescence-management activities. U.S. Army budget documents identify updates to CAAS and DAFCS software as part of the CH-47F Block II program.
Open Architecture for Future Upgrades
A major element of the effort is the use of open and reusable avionics architectures. This approach is intended to make it easier to introduce new technologies and replace obsolete components without requiring extensive changes across the aircraft’s entire avionics system.
Collins says its open-architecture avionics are designed to provide flexibility for future upgrades while supporting integration of communications, navigation and other aircraft systems.
The Army has also identified commonality and future growth as important elements of the Chinook program. The CH-47F already uses an upgraded digital cockpit featuring CAAS and the Digital Automatic Flight Control System.
Supporting the CH-47F Block II
The contract comes as the Army continues the transition toward the CH-47F Block II configuration. The Block II program introduces additional improvements to the Chinook, including updates to avionics as well as changes to other aircraft systems.
Army program documents describe the CH-47F as the service’s heavy-lift cargo helicopter and identify missions including troop and equipment transport, aerial sustainment, medical evacuation, search and rescue, parachute operations, disaster relief and aircraft recovery.
The Block II configuration is intended to provide increased payload and operational reach compared with the existing CH-47F, while also providing additional potential for future growth.
Collins Aerospace's Chinook Role
Jenny Miller, vice president and general manager of Vision and Sensing Systems at Collins Aerospace, said the company’s avionics integrate communication, navigation and mission subsystems into a flexible cockpit architecture.
“Our longstanding avionics partnership with the US Army ensures the fleet continuously evolves to support the warfighter and meet future operational demands,” Miller said.
Collins has supported Chinook avionics through CAAS, which uses an open-systems architecture and integrates multiple communications, navigation and mission systems. The company says the system is designed to support continued modernization and enhancements.
Long-Term Fleet Sustainment
The latest contract provides the Army with a framework for continued engineering and avionics sustainment as the Chinook fleet is modernized. It also supports the Army’s broader effort to maintain existing aviation capabilities while introducing new technologies and transitioning to newer configurations.
The $472 million value represents the maximum potential value of the engineering services contract rather than a single hardware purchase. The work therefore provides a mechanism for the Army to order engineering and sustainment activities as required.
The contract extends Collins Aerospace’s established role in Chinook avionics and supports the continued modernization of the CH-47 fleet as the Army moves forward with the CH-47F Block II program.
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