Medium-Lift German Military Transport Flies On Schedule

The CH-53GA medium-lift military transport helicopter successfully completed its first flight over the Bavarian town of Donauwörth Wednesday before a crowd of approximately 150 guests. Eurocopter test pilot Rene Nater and flight engineer Antoine Van Gent were at the controls. This first flight came just three years after the contract was awarded, and represents a major milestone for the CH-53GA program, as well as for Eurocopter Germany's support center for the German Army helicopters. Eurocopter says that, thanks to the new upgrades, the helicopter’s service life has been extended to 2030.

Training flights are slated for early 2011, with the first deliveries of the retrofitted helicopters later in the same year. The German Armed Forces will then be able to deploy the CH-53GA with its state-of-the-art equipment for international missions (e.g. Afghanistan).

As Senior Vice-President Ralf Barnscheidt, responsible for German military contracts at Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH, points out: “Over the past 30 years, the Eurocopter support center for German Army helicopters has completed many important upgrades on the CH-53G transport helicopter, working in cooperation with the Bundesamt für Wehrtechnik und Beschaffung (Federal Agency for Defense Technology and Procurement). I am extremely pleased to see the CH53-GA flying today, as it further demonstrates the successful cooperation we enjoy with the German Armed Forces that has enabled us to complete the program on time and within budget.”

(R-L) Rene Nater, Ralf Barnscheidt, Volker Bau, J.M. Billig,  Antoine Van Gent,  Udo Thoennes

The CH-53G is being retrofitted so that the helicopter can be deployed in a wide range of national and international missions. The following major functional requirements for the CH-53GA have been defined and embodied:

• Improved display and flight control systems via state-of-the-art digital avionics.
• Advanced accurate navigation system and improved flight capabilities in line with international IFR flight regulations.
• Integration of a new automatic flight control systemAFCS/4-axis-autopilot) with automatic hovering.
• Installation of auxiliary fuel tanks in the cabin to increase the range to 745sm.
• Upgrade of communication equipment for joint missions with Tiger and NH90 helicopters.
• Integration of a modular mission equipment package including FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared), satellite communication system (SatCom) and a cutting-edge electronic warfare system (EWS) for self-defense and identification of threats.

Production work on the CH-53GA is scheduled to start at the Donauwörth plant in 2011 and continue through 2013. The first helicopters will be made available to the German Army before the end of 2011.

FMI: www.eurocopter.com