**Location and Event**
TAMPA, Florida – Special operators are currently upgrading nearly every aspect of their helicopter fleet as they await the Army’s newest addition to the rotary wing section. This development was showcased during the Global SOF Foundation Special Operations Forces Week.
**Aircraft Upgrades Overview**
The helicopters being upgraded include the MH-6 light attack assault “Little Bird,” the MH-60 medium attack assault “Blackhawk,” and the MH-47 heavy assault “Chinook.” Officials highlighted ongoing upgrades to these aircraft on Thursday.
**MH-6 “Little Bird” Upgrades**
Developers are refining the “Little Bird,” a small but powerful aircraft unique to the Special Operations Command (SOCOM). According to Paul Kylander, product manager for the aircraft at the Program Executive Office-Rotary Wing, “It is your streetfighter. When operators want to get to your front door, this is the aircraft they use.”
The ongoing “R” model project aims to reduce the aircraft’s weight for improved speed and range by utilizing lighter materials in the fuselage. Additional upgrades include better avionics management and an advanced airborne tactical mission suite. These modernization efforts will persist until 2034, followed by a potential Block 4 upgrade or divestment from 2035 to 2042.
**MH-60 “Blackhawk” Enhancements**
The MH-60 is also undergoing significant upgrades. Lt. Col. Cameron Keogh reported that software updates, navigation tools for degraded visual environments, enhanced sensors, and next-generation tactical communications are being installed. Work is ongoing to extend the engine life of the YT706 engine, with future plans for an open architecture common cockpit.
Weaponry upgrades for the Blackhawk include the addition of the joint air-to-ground missile, conformal lightweight armament wing, M-230 recoil dampers, GAU-19 Gun Pod, and a helmet display tracking system. Keogh remarked, “Having a quiver full of tools to do your job is pretty handy.”
**MH-47G Chinook Developments**
On the heavier side, the MH-47G Chinook is experiencing increased demand for enhanced payloads, range, and speed. Lt. Col. Thomas Brewington, product manager for the Chinook, noted that the oldest airframe in the Chinook fleet will soon retire after 59 years of service.
The platform is seeing advancements with a new flight control pallet system called the Active Parallel Actuator Subsystem. This system augments manned flight by providing tactile cueing to help prevent pilots from exceeding performance limits, thus enhancing safety and operational use while reducing pilot workload. An upcoming test in October 2024 at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, demonstrated a “hands-off” landing capability by a Chinook crew, a significant step towards autonomous pilot assistance.
**Conclusion**
These upgrades reflect a strong commitment to enhancing the capabilities and operational effectiveness of SOCOM’s rotary-wing fleet, with developments set to continue into the next decade.
**Author Bio**
Todd South has been reporting on crime, courts, government, and military matters since 2004 and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2014 for a collaboration on witness intimidation. He is also a Marine veteran of the Iraq War.
