As part of a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) arranged by the United States Department of Defence, Boeing was given a contract to build 19 CH-47F Block I Chinook helicopters for South Korea and another aircraft that will be shipped to Spain. The aircraft being purchased for $793 million is the last one to be ordered by the United States government as part of the ongoing CH-47F Block I FMS contract. This transition by Boeing to the more advanced Block II design is continuing.
Even though this brings an end to Block I orders, Heather McBryan, vice president of the H-47 and programme manager, stated that Boeing would continue to service its customers’ aircraft for as long as those aircraft continue to play a critical role.
Chinook modernization efforts will continue with the H-47 Block II programme, which is already in the works, even though the CH-47F Block I will no longer be manufactured or delivered once this order is placed in 2027 and will be the last of its kind. Block II provides increased lift and range as a result of improvements made to the drivetrain and airframe, as well as to the fuel tanks. Under contract are six Block II aircraft for the United States Army, 36 for the United States Army Special Operations Command (SOCOM), and 14 for the Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom. SOCOM has been receiving Block II aircraft for several years now, and the United States Army is scheduled to obtain its first CH-47F Block II at the beginning of 2024.
Both Block I and Block II aircraft will continue to compete with one another in the heavy-lift market. The number of Chinook Block I aircraft in Spain’s fleet will increase to 18. South Korea will join the ranks of the 15 other operators that already benefit from the digital cockpit and the enhanced cargo handling capabilities of the Block I variant.
