Image: MoD

Boeing has signed a £1.4 billion contract with the Ministry of Defence for 14 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters.

The order for the new aircraft signals the commitment made by the MoD in the recent Defence Command Paper to invest over £85 billion on military equipment over the next four years to reform and renew the UK Armed Forces.

The move is a boost to Boeing, which has been looking to line up new customers for the helicopters, which are built at its plant outside Philadelphia in the US. The order will help guard against a potential closing of the facility after the US.Army sought to scale back its orders.

Defence secretary Ben Wallace said: “From assisting emergency repairs to UK flood defences, providing vital logistics support during COVID-19 to its warfighting role on Afghan battlefields, the Chinook has been the workhorse of the Armed Forces for over 40 years.

“The cutting edge H-47 (ER) will be at the forefront of our specialist requirements in dealing with threats and logistic support. Our £1.4 billion investment will mean we will be one of very few air forces with this capability.”

The helicopter can operate in a diverse range of environments, from the desert to the arctic, and transport up to 55 personnel or ten tonnes of cargo.

With a top speed of 300 kilometres per hour, the new H-47(ER) aircraft will have a range of new capabilities, including:

• An advanced digital cockpit
• A modernised airframe to increase stability and improve survivability
• A digital automatic flight control system to allow pilots to hover in areas of limited visibility.

The 14 aircraft will be purchased from the US via a Foreign Military Sales agreement and includes development and manufacture over the next decade. Deliveries are scheduled to start in 2026.

The new helicopters will be based at RAF Odiham, the home of the Chinook fleet.

In addition to traditional warfighting roles, the Chinook supports a wide variety of specialist tasks, including the military aid to the civil authorities. Most recently, it was part of the Joint Helicopter Aviation Task Force which transported NHS paramedics, equipment and patients during peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduced into service in 1981, the 40th anniversary of the first Chinook was recently celebrated with a new commemorative colour scheme.

The oldest of fleet will be retired, enabling investment in the new aircraft to modernise the UK heavy lift capability.

www.boeing.com

www.gov.uk/mod

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Source: https://www.aero-mag.com/boeing-raf-chinook-helicopters-13052021/