The US Special Operations Command has awarded Boeing a $55.4-million firm-fixed-price contract to install its Active Parallel Actuator System, or APAS, on MH-47G Block II Chinook helicopters. The system is intended to enhance aircraft control, reduce pilot workload, and improve safety during demanding flight operations. Developed by Boeing with BAE Systems, APAS works with the Digital Automatic Flight Control System already installed on CH-47F and MH-47G aircraft. Because the Chinook is not a fly-by-wire aircraft, APAS uses the existing flight-control system to provide pilots with tactile cues and force feedback. These inputs warn crews when the helicopter is approaching its flight-envelope limits, allowing them to perform demanding maneuvers with greater awareness and control. Work under the contract is scheduled to continue through August 2033. Boeing began introducing APAS into production earlier this year, initially fitting the system to a UK Extended Range Chinook in February before incorporating it into standard production in April. The MH-47G Block II was planned as the first Chinook variant to receive APAS as standard. Operated by the US Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, the Night Stalkers, the helicopter features terrain-following radar, aerial-refueling capability, advanced navigation equipment, and additional fuel capacity for long-range, low-level infiltration missions.
