Due to the vast and often extreme environmental conditions met during combat situations, the need for reliable and efficient Ground Support Equipment (GSE) becomes increasingly pertinent. The U.S. Army has experienced difficulty with the presently fielded equipment in the servicing of the AH-64D Apache Helicopter's Environmental Control System (ECS) due to the harsh surroundings of the current theater of operations. In order to increase the efficiency and reliability of ECS servicing operations, a smaller, more rugged, man-portable, and field-level capable servicing unit has been developed. This portable ECS Servicing Kit offers a quick, effective, and reliable method of recovering and recharging the AH-64D's refrigeration system in austere locations.

This paper is located in the AHS International 61st Annual Forum (TL716 .A1 A512 2005 VOL.1).