The Association of the United States Army (AUSA) will hold a “Global Force Symposium & Exposition” from March 28-30 in Huntsville, Alabama, to discuss how the Army can transform itself, with a focus on modernising the industrial base of both public and private manufacturers that produce and sustain land warfare tools.
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One such tool is the CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopter, which the Army has delayed modernising despite it being expected to remain in the active force until 2060.
The Army’s failure to proceed with the Block II upgrade of the Chinook places the Boeing rotorcraft plant in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, at risk of closing, endangering the jobs of over 4,000 workers.
Additionally, hundreds of suppliers across the US would lose skilled workers if the Block II programme is not carried forward.
Lawmakers from Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania have added $177m to the defence budget for Block II upgrades, and they believe that securing annual add-ons from Congress to keep the programme moving forward is not the best solution.
The time to fund upgrades to the heavy-lift fleet is now, while the production line, supply chain, and workforce are in place.
The Army has an uneven record of supporting its own industrial base, including the tank plant in Lima, Ohio, and the Apache attack helicopter in Mesa, Arizona, which also require upgrading.
The post Army Failure To Embrace Chinook Helicopter Upgrades Endangers Industrial Base first appeared on Business d'Or.
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