The US Department of State has approved a contract worth $578m for Boeing to deliver fourteen extended-range Chinook helicopters to the Royal Air Force.
The approval means that the United Kingdom will be the first international operator of a Block II Chinook.
“These Chinooks are the future of heavy-lift, built on an existing foundation of advanced capability and life cycle affordability,” said Andy Builta, Boeing vice president and H-47 program manager.
“This contract for Block II aircraft sets the stage for the next sixty years of Chinook excellence on the battlefield.” Boeing and the RAF recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of the first Chinook delivery to the UK.
Boeing will also celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Chinook’s first flight later this year. Deliveries of the new RAF helicopters are scheduled to start in 2026.
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Boeing
