Helo upgrades focus on Special-Warfare Missions: Non-traditional operations challenge capabilities of rotary-wing aircraft.

• Author: Colucci, Frank
• Position: Unconventional Warriors - Helicopters

From the mountains of Afghanistan to the confines of America's cities, vertical takeoff-and-landing mobility will be essential to U.S. special operations forces.

By definition, special operations are missions with high risk and high operational or strategic payoff. They often are politically sensitive. Objectives can be deep in hostile territory and protected by mixed air defenses. Operational secrecy is essential to success, and single aircraft or small formations must fly long distances at night and low altitude to avoid detection.

Mission profiles consequently put a premium on performance and take a toil on helicopter transmissions and other dynamic components. They also generate extraordinary cockpit workload--manageable only with highly trained crews and integrated avionics.

As it stands today, the special operations forces' helicopter fleet is due for modernization or replacement in coming years.

Each of the U.S. armed services has special-operations helicopters.

The U.S. Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment operates MH-60K and MH-60L Black Hawks, MH-47D and MH-47E Chinooks, and AH/MH-6J Little Birds.

The U.S. Air Force 20th and 21st Special Operations Squadrons fly the MH-53M Pave Low IV.

The joint U.S. Special Operations Command routinely mixes the Army and Air Force helicopters on missions such as the evacuation of civilians from hotspots. Army Special Operations Chinooks relieved Air Force Pave Lows stationed in Korea in July 2001.

Outside the Special Operations Command, Navy Reserve squadrons HCS-4 and -5 provide special warfare support with the HH-60H Seahawk. Aboard amphibious assault ships, less specialized but still specially trained Marine Corps composite helicopter squadrons can use their CH-53E Super Stallions to support Marine Expeditionary Units (Special Operations Capable).

The Sikorsky MH-53M Pave Low IV helicopters in Air Force Special Operations Squadrons are the same Super Jolly Green Giants first sent to Vietnam in 1967. Today, the re-skinned, re-bladed and thoroughly refurbished aircraft have night/adverse weather capability, integrated aircraft survivability equipment, and digital connectivity.

The Pave Low III first introduced a forward-looking infrared (FUR) sensor and terrain following/terrain avoidance radar for combat rescues in 1979. It became a Special Operations Command asset after Navy minesweepers failed to rescue American hostages from Iran in 1980. The enhanced Pave Low III integrated the night/adverse weather sensors with a sophisticated navigation/communications suite on a 1553B databus. With their precision navigation capability, Air Force Pave Lows led Army Apaches to make the opening shots of Desert Storm in 1991.

Since then, the Air Force Special Operations Command has modernized 25 of 38 Pave Low IIIEs to MH-53M Pave Low IVs with the integrated defensive avionics system/multimission advanced tactical terminal (IDAS/MATT), made by Lockheed Martin. An MH-53M led an MH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopter to the stealth fighter pilot shot down in Kosovo in 1999. With digital connectivity and a digital map display, the IDAS/MATT gives the Pave Low IV crew better situational awareness to avoid enemy air defenses and take advantage of new intelligence.

At a gross weight of up to 50,000 pounds, the MH-53M carries up to 37 troops or hook loads to 20,000 pounds. Air Force special-operations pilots practice night aerial refuelings from HC-130P and MC-130E tankers at altitudes less than 500 feet to avoid enemy air defenses. Despite their robust capabilities, the hard-working Pave Low IVs with their vintage radar and FUR, have the highest maintenance requirements in the Air Force special-operations inventory.

Even with their IDAS-integrated aircraft survivability suite, they lack infrared engine exhaust suppressors that would help counter shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles.

The Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) had planned to buy 50 CV-22 tilt rotors to replace a variety of rotary-and fixed-wing aircraft, including the MH-53M...