Kristen Smith
The U.S. Army has selected Sun Test Systems to build improved aviation ground power units under a five-year, $230 million indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to meet the power requirements of the military branch and international partners’ current and next-generation rotary wing fleets.
Sun Test Systems was awarded the initial delivery order for 20 AGPU 1.1 systems and repair part support packages, the Army said Tuesday.
AGPU for Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft
Compared to AGPU 1.0, which has been in use for four decades, the latest version offers increased user safety and new and expanded capabilities, including a hydraulic fluid purification system, to address critical support capability gaps in the CH-47 Chinook and AH-64 Apache fleets. The system is also adaptable to support the Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft, being developed to complement and ultimately replace the UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopter.
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According to the service branch, the 1.1 version uses a diesel engine rather than the 1.0’s turbine engine to power more maintenance tasks for longer periods without pausing to refuel the system. Other new features include a digital interface that requires fewer inputs than the APGU 1.0 analog technology.
The AGPU contract was awarded to Sun Test Systems following a three-year prototype and test effort. According to the Army, the production contract satisfies U.S. Army and foreign military sales AGPU requirements into 2030 and enables fielding the initial operational capability on schedule in 2026.
