MH-47 Chinook
U.S.M. C. photo by Staff SGT. Cruz G. Sotelo/Released
A MH-47 Chinook prepares to land in the Californian desert during an exercise, January 2010.
The MH-47G Chinook is a heavy-lift, twin-rotor helicopter operated by the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.
In order to perform the challenging missions flown by the 'Night Stalkers', the MH-47 features a number of improvements over the standard CH-47 Chinooks flown by the regular Army:
- refueling probe
- forward-looking infra-red (FLIR) pod
- multi-mode radar
- secure radio communications
- common avionics architecture system (CAAS)
MH-47 Chinooks are used to insert and extract U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) such as Delta Force, U.S. Army Rangers, Special Forces and Navy SEALs.
The helicopter features several technologies to assist in this mission:
- Fast Rope Insertion Extraction System (FRIES)
- Rescue hoist - able to winch up to 160lbs
- Rope Ladder
- Special Patrol Insertion & Extraction System (SPIES)
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