Chief Warrant Officer 4 Nick Koeppen, 101st CAB Standardization Pilot and test participant, noted that the User Demonstration allowed him and his crew to observe the aircraft’s performance under actual operational conditions. “It was a dynamic and invaluable experience, offering a stark contrast to the constraints of conventional, controlled testing environments,” he said.
The benefits of leveraging the unit’s exercise include significant cost savings, improved resource availability, and operational quality compared to conducting separate independent test events which add undue strain to defense budgets and military units. Collecting data and unit feedback during OLE avoided a stand-alone operational test.
Paul Zimmer, Deputy Director of the Aviation Test Directorate said, “Operational testing holds inherent truths as Army leadership uses the results from such events to mitigate risks associated with product fielding.” He added that these tests incorporate input from end-users on the battlefield: “These test events are designed to ensure Soldiers have a voice in the acquisition and deployment of new and improved systems.”
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jordan Brooks, a 101st CAB Maintenance Test Pilot remarked on some limitations: “While this testing environment provided limitations on nuanced data collection by lacking multiple iterations of similar tasks with different control variables, performing a myriad of mission set tests during OLE allowed us to provide feedback on a larger collection of missions and task types.” He continued, “I feel as if this experience was the perfect storm for us to give our true thoughts and help shape the future of CH-47s for the Army.”
Lt. Col. Walter Thomas with the Army Evaluation Center (AEC) highlighted that this unique operational event is a result of thorough developmental testing and program maturity. “The Block II has undergone hundreds of hours of component and flight testing by Redstone Test Center Experimental test crews as well as multiple hardware and software updates throughout the program,” he explained.
The Army Evaluation Center will analyze and report data collected during this event for continued development of the CH-47F Block II program. The Chinook has been in service for 62 years as an essential heavy lift aircraft for transporting cargo, troops, and weapons across various environments.
According to Lt. Col James B. Hickey, Army Product Manager executing the CH-47F Block II program: "The Block II configuration is cost-effective for maintaining heavy lift capability while reducing Operation & Support costs." The upgrade restores payload capacity lost through years of mission equipment package growth while enhancing flight control systems' performance.
Written by Archie C. Kinnebrew Jr., Test Officer, Aviation Test Directorate
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