Chinook: From Iraq to Somalia

Named after an American Indian tribe from North America’s Pacific coast, the MH-47E "Chinook" helicopter and its variants have been the choice aircraft for missions overseas of the US Army’s Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR).

The Chinook figured heavily in "Operation Just Cause" in Somalia and "Operation Desert Storm" in Iraq for insertion of commandos as well as rescue of downed pilots.

With a price tag of almost $40 million, the assault MH-47E aircraft was configured for special operations missions based on the CH-47 airframe manufactured by Boeing Co.

Other derivatives of the CH-47 include the CH-47D and the search-and-rescue MH-47AWD.

In 1996, an MH-47E crashed at Fort Campbell in Kentucky, killing five members of the 160th SOAR. A subsequent investigation concluded that the most likely cause of the crash was the loss of electrical power due to the presence of water in the helicopter’s primary electrical distribution panels (PDPs).

Since the accident, several changes have been made to protect PDPs from water intrusion.

The air-refuelable MH-47E provides long-range penetration, medium-assault helicopter support to special operations forces as well as resupply and sling missions over a wide range of environmental conditions.

Through the use of special equipment and night vision devices, the Chinook can be flown at low altitudes during periods of low visibility and minimal light with pinpoint navigational accuracy.

According to Pentagon specifications, the MH-47E is required to complete a 5.5-hour covert mission over a 300-nautical mile or 555-kilometer radius at low-level, day or night, in adverse weather, over any type of terrain, and do so with a 90 percent probability of success.

The twin-engine, tandem rotor Chinook can carry up to 44 servicemen and can fly as far as 3,700 kilometers without mid-air refueling at a speed of 300 kilometers per hour. It is equipped with a sophisticated radar system to cope with anti-aircraft artillery and guided surface-to-air missiles.