The US Army has ordered Boeing three more CH-47F Block II Chinooks. The order for Lot 3, worth approximately €128 million, is part of the US Army’s ongoing modernization efforts. This order follows the US Army’s announcement in February that it would move forward with full-scale production of the CH-47F Block II. The first two production CH-47F Block II helicopters were delivered in June and September.
“It is critical that soldiers achieve their objectives and have the equipment they need to accomplish their mission,” said Heather McBryan, vice president and program manager, Boeing Cargo Programs. She continued, “The increased payload capacity and longer range of the CH-47F Block II will enable the U.S. Army to meet evolving requirements for heavy transportation missions around the world.” https://militaeraktuell.at/italien-stellt-flugzeugtraeger-trieste-in-dienst/ McBryan was referring to the improvements to the CH-47F Block II configuration’s powertrain and airframe. These make the helicopter stronger and increase the maximum payload by just over 1,800 kilograms. Further improvements to the fuel system also ensure an increased operational radius for almost all payloads. Improved maintenance and the ability to carry out future upgrades relatively cheaply should make it possible to meet the US Army’s goal of 40 more years of flight readiness. So far, Boeing is under contract for nine of the up to 465 helicopters in the Army’s current fleet. The Army has also received funding from the US Congress for three helicopters as part of the next production lot and last year awarded Boeing a contract for the procurement of long lead time parts.
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