A CH-47 Chinook helicopter. Credit: US Army photo by Spc. Glenn M. Anderson, USAREUR Public Affairs / Released.

UTC Aerospace Systems has unveiled a new lightweight ballistic protection system (LBPS) for the CH-47 Chinook cargo system.

The LBPS will be integrated into the cargo on / off-loading systems (COOLS) used for the CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters.

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The UTC system will be able to provide operators with up to 20% weight savings based on the selected protection levels.

This will help increase the aircraft’s fuel efficiency and will enable operators to add weight elsewhere on the platform.

Furthermore, the ballistic protection system is completely qualified and interchangeable with the helicopter’s existing COOLS under floor ballistic protection system.

The cargo loading system, whether in-flight or on-ground, will enable the CH-47 operators to convert from a flat floor for the troop transport to a cargo floor with rollers in less than 15 minutes, according to the company.

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“We are proud to provide these state-of-the-art systems to help ensure our soldiers are able to overmatch the enemy on current or future battlefields.”

This provides operators with the ability to quickly respond to mission changes without returning to base for conversion while allowing them to load and unload troops and cargo in an efficient manner.

UTC Aerospace Systems Interiors vice-president Cheryl Gorman said: “COOLS continues to be a success story for the warfighter.

“With more than 500 systems delivered, US and foreign military customers alike depend on COOLS for its game-changing enhancements to troop and cargo transport. Now, with our new LBPS, operators can also achieve significant weight savings without sacrificing performance.”

The COOLS solution is equipped with transport rollers and a pallet locking system, which accommodates combinations of small and large pallets.

It is standard on the CH-47F and is available as an upgrade on the CH-47D helicopters.

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