412 Mil-LOK Helicopter Hoist Hook

The Mil-LOK may be operated in auto-lock mode or with the safety lock disabled. The gate and safety latch are easily functioned by a single gloved or bare hand. With hook in hand, rotate the safety latch up using your thumb and pull the gate back with the index finger. Release, and the spring-assisted gate and safety latch will automatically return to the locked & secured position, preventing ring roll out and loss of load. In situations where it may be desirable to operate with an unlocked gate (certain combat operations or lowering equipment to untrained personnel), the lock may be disabled via a simple push-action catch on the hook spine to temporarily secure the safety in the unlocked position. The spring-assisted gate will close as normal, but is no longer secured by the safety latch. To return to auto-lock mode, simply press the catch release and the safety will return to the closed & locked position. The Mil-LOK’s robust design and stainless steel construction pivots all movements about axles for simplicity and minimal maintenance. Far superior to alternate hooks utilizing tight tolerance slide lock and ball-detent mechanisms prone to failure from grit, binding, or unintentional deactivation of the safety. Further, the slide lock hooks do not feature the auto-lock capability of the D-LOK or Mil-LOK hoist hooks, relying solely on the operator to set the safety in the locked position for each use. Another safety aspect of the Mil-LOK design is its inherent resistance to ring roll-out when the safety is disabled. Equipment o-rings and equivalent v-rings having an inside diameter of 1-½” or less will not roll out with the gate closed due to the geometry. The Mil-LOK provides users with a choice of operating in auto-lock mode for safety during regular use or disabled when required under specific conditions, while providing significantly improved safety and reliability over slide lock designs. This hook is currently in use by the US Air Force on the V22 Osprey’s and the Spanish Navy. Certified by NAVAIR for service on V22’s.