UTC Aerospace Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), today unveiled a new Lightweight Ballistic Protection System (LBPS) for its Cargo On/Off Loading System (COOLS) for the CH-47 Chinook. Depending on the level of protection selected, the new LBPS can provide operators with up to 20 percent weight savings, helping to increase fuel efficiency or allow operators to add weight elsewhere on the platform. In addition, the LBPS is completely qualified and interchangeable with the CH-47F’s existing COOLS under floor Ballistic Protection System.

Whether in-flight or on the ground, COOLS gives Chinook operators the ability to convert from a flat floor for troop transport to a cargo floor with rollers in less than 15 minutes. As a result, COOLS provides operators with the ability to quickly respond to mission changes without returning to base for conversion while also allowing them to load and unload troops and cargo in an efficient manner.

Complete with transport rollers and a unique pallet locking system that accommodates combinations of small and large pallets, COOLS is standard on the CH-47F and is available as an upgrade on the CH-47D.

“COOLS continues to be a success story for the warfighter,” said Cheryl Gorman, vice president of Interiors for UTC Aerospace Systems. “With more than 500 systems delivered, U.S. and foreign military customers alike depend on COOLS for its game-changing enhancements to troop and cargo transport. Now, with our new Lightweight Ballistic Protection System, operators can also achieve significant weight savings without sacrificing performance.”

For more information, please visit UTC Aerospace Systems’ booth #7141 at AUSA, October 8-10.