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Scramble 468
helicopters. A successful appeal against this challenge was
made by the army and the road became clear for the purchase
of thirty-five additional Lakota helicopters. Not long after this
verdict, on 10 March 2018 to be exact, the order was indeed
placed. The value was quoted at $273 million. Seventeen of
these are slated to be delivered to Fort Rucker (AL), and the
remaining eighteen will go to the Army National Guard.
Not long after the abovementioned contract was signed,
Airbus Helicopters released to the press that sixteen more
UH-72A Lakota helicopters were purchased by the United
States Army for the sum of $116 million. The press release,
dated 23 March 2018, stated that this purchase is part of a
FY16 procurement decision and that they are slated to be
delivered to Fort Rucker (AL).
The next unit to receive AH-64E “Guardian” Apaches is 1-6th
CAV at Marshall AAF, Fort Riley (KS). It is unclear when the
first helicopters were delivered, but several deliveries took
place during January and February 2018.
On 7 March 2018, C-17A 07-7169 (436th AW) arrived at
Wiesbaden AAF (Germany). Even though USAF C-17s do not
often visit this United States Army Air Field, on its own this is
not really a reason to mention this event in the military news
section of this magazine. The reason that we do mention this
is because the aircraft was carrying three UH-60M Black
Hawk helicopters for A/1-214th AVN. These three are the
first Mike Blackhawks for the United States Army in Europe
(USAREUR). The registration numbers are not yet known as
we went to press with this edition. The official press release
contained pictures of Black Hawk 87-24583 being pushed on
board of the mentioned C-17A. This is a former SHAPE Flt
UH-60A+, which transferred to Wiesbaden AAF (Germany)
when the United States Army decided to absorb this unit into
A/1-214th AVN mid-2015. It therefore is likely that at least
one former USAREUR UH-60A+ has already been transported
back to the Continental United States.
The United States Army announced the next step in the
MH-47G Block II programme on 14 March 2018. A so-called
Request For Information (RFI) was issued by the Aviation
Integration Division (AMCOM). The goal is to purchase six
newly built MH-47G Block II helicopters, with an option for
another eight. The MH-47G Block II development is executed
in concert with the CH-47F Block II programme. The vision
is to keep the Chinook in service until the 2060s. In order
to achieve this, a Block III upgrade is also expected in the
future during which also the engines will be replaced. For
the CH-47F the current plans call for an upgrade of the
existing airframes, but a final decision is yet to be made after
conversion and testing of three prototypes. For the Special
Forces the decision seems to point to replacing the current
fleet of sixty-nine remaining airframes by newly built
helicopters.
It was communicated that the decision to purchase newly
built MH-47G helicopters is based on the fact that these
helicopters have their origins in the 1960s and 1970s when
they were built as CH-47A, CH-47B or CH-47C models. They
were converted to CH-47D standard during the 1980s and
subsequently to MH-47G during the period 2004-2012. In
reality, only certain components were re-used in the MH-47G
upgrade programme. The fuselages for example are com-
pletely newly built.
At AASF Reno Stead Airport (NV), B(-)/1-189th AVN NV
ARNG received six new CH-47F Chinooks in March 2018. The
unit also has a detachment at AASF Helena Regional County
Airport (MT) under the designation Det.1 B/1-189th AVN MT
ARNG. Up until now, each time a main company converted
to the CH-47F the detachment assigned to it also converted
around the same time.
Units
1st USASB AvnCo Al-Arish Airport, El-Gorah (Egypt)
A/2-1st AVN Marshall AAF, Fort Riley (KS)
B/2-1st AVN Marshall AAF, Fort Riley (KS)
C/2-1st AVN Marshall AAF, Fort Riley (KS)
3-1st AVN Marshall AAF, Fort Riley (KS)
1-6th CAV Marshall AAF, Fort Riley (KS)
2-25th AVN Wheeler AAF, Schofield Barracks (HI)
Det.1 B/6-52nd AVN USARC, Godman AAF (KY)
A/1-106th AVN IL ARNG, AASF Decatur Airport (IL)
A/1-111th AVN PR ARNG, AASF Isla Grande Airport (PR)
Det.1 C/1-111th AVN GA ARNG, AASF Dobbins ARB (GA)
Det.3 A/1-112th AVN MT ARNG, AASF Helena RAP (MT)
1-137th AVN OH ARNG, AASF Rickenbacker IAP (OH)
C/1-137th AVN IN ARNG, AASF Shelbyville MAP (IN)
B(-)/7-158th AVN USARC, ASF Olathe (KS)
C(-)/1-168th AVN CA ARNG, AASF Sacramento Mather Airport (CA)
1-211th AVN UT ARNG, AASF West Valley RAP, West Jordan (UT)
1-212th AVN Lowe AHP, Fort Rucker (AL)
1-223rd AVN Cairns AAF, Fort Rucker (AL)
C/1-223rd AVN Knox AHP, Fort Rucker (AL)
1-227th AVN Hood AAF, Ford Hood (TX)
1-230th AVN TN ARNG, AASF McGhee-Tyson Airport (TN)
B(-)/3-238th AVN OH ARNG, AASF Akron-Canton RAP (OH)
Det.1 B/1-376th AVN IL ARNG, Decatur Airport (IL)
Det.1 D/1-376th AVN OH ARNG, AASF Akron-Canton RAP (OH)
1106th TASMG CA ARNG, AASF Fresno-Yosemite IAP (CA)
C/2916th AVN Barstow Daggett AHP (CA)
AFTD Aviation Flight Test Directorate at Redstone AAF (AL)
BEST BEST Aircraft Consolidation Facility at 248
Dunlop Blvd, Huntsville (AL
Summit Avn Summit Aviation at Middletwon-Summit Airport (DE)
KDHN Dothan RAP (AL)
C-12V
95-00101 1st USASB AvnCo, ex A/2-228th AVN BW-29 mar16
Not previously mentioned, with the retirement of the C-23
Sherpa the United States Army deployed two C-12V aircraft
to Egypt where they were assigned to 1st USASB AvnCo.
C-12V-1
10-00257 Det.1 B/6-52nd AVN, see note nov17
This C-12 was assigned to the here mentioned unit from at
least January 2014 until February 2017. It was believed that
it was re-assigned to A(-)/2-228th AVN USARC at McGuire
AFB (NJ) by August 2017. The aircraft was confirmed there on
various occasions throughout August and September 2017.
As it turns out, it most likely either was on loan or temporary
detached at McGuire since it was confirmed back with Det.1
B/6-52nd AVN USAR by November 2017.
C-23C
93-01321 allocated for FMS to Brazil Army AK-005
93-01334 allocated for FMS to Brazil Army AK-018
93-01335 allocated for FMS to Brazil Army AK-019
94-00310 allocated for FMS to Brazil Army AK-024
As previously announced, the Brazilian Army is planning
to take over four ex United States Army C-23 aircraft. The
here mentioned aircraft are earmarked to be delivered if
the contract is indeed signed. Delivery should not take place
until the first quarter of 2021. All four are currently stored
in the Arizona desert (309th AMARG) and are expected to
leave that location well before the planned delivery date to
undergo maintenance and upgrades.
CH-47D
90-00193 dump Summit, ex B/1-214th AVN M3345 mar18
90-00223 std Summit, ex B(-)/7-158th AVN M3375 mar18
91-00240 std Summit, ex B/1-214th AVN M3389 mar18
91-00253 std Summit, ex EAATS PA ARNG M3402 mar18
91-00259 std Summit, ex B/1-214th AVN M3408 mar18
98-02000 std Summit, ex B/5-159th AVN mar18
CH-47F
06-08028 dump Summit, see note M8028 mar18
08-08055 B(-)/3-238th AVN, ex B/3-82nd AVN M8055 mar18
07-08727 dump Summit, see note M8727 mar18
