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British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps commented this month on the 14 Boeing CH-47 "Chinook" transport helicopters ordered from the United States in 2021: "The procurement of these 'Chinook' helicopters is an important milestone in our efforts to to modernize and improve the agility of the UK Armed Forces and consolidate our ability to respond quickly to situations and threats around the world. (…) The 'Chinook' is one of our most iconic aircraft, having been used in every major conflict since the Falklands War. Delivering this deal will not only improve our capabilities but will also strengthen UK industry and its capabilities.”

A Royal Air Force CH-47F Chinook.
(Photo: Portugall)

Wie das Verteidigungsministerium in London berichtet, habe es durch erfolgreiche Verhandlungen zwischen seiner Beschaffungsabteilung „Defence Equipment & Support“ und der US-Regierung die Kosten für Elemente des Programms um mehr als 300 Millionen Pfund Sterling (351 Millionen Euro) gesenkt. Außerdem würde die britische Industrie mit schätzungsweise 151 Millionen Pfund (177 Millionen Euro) von diesem Vorhaben profitieren. Der Auftrag im Wert von rund 1,58 Milliarden Pfund (1,85 Milliarden Euro) wird über das „Foreign-Military-Sales“-Programm (FMS) der US-Regierung abgewickelt. Daraus ergibt sich ein Systempreis von 132 Millionen Euro.

The Joint Helicopter Command in Andover, southern England, already has 60 Chinooks. The latest “Chinook” variant ordered by the United Kingdom is the CH-47 ER (Extended Range), which has a range of around 1,000 kilometers. For comparison: the basic variant CH-47F has a range of 610 kilometers. The CH-47 ER is capable of air-to-air refueling and transporting up to 55 soldiers or ten tons of cargo at a maximum speed of 300 kilometers per hour.

A photomontage of the “Chinook” in the colors of the Bundeswehr. (Photo: Boeing)

“Chinooks” also for the Bundeswehr

Last year, the Bundeswehr ordered 60 “Chinook” heavy transport helicopters of the CH-47F SR (Standard Range) Block II variant with aerial refueling capability worth almost eight billion euros from the USA as a successor to the Sikorsky CH-53G. This results in a system price of 133 million euros. Due to the ability to carry out air-to-air refueling, the shorter range compared to the ER variant is not that significant. The first aircraft is scheduled to be delivered in September 2027 and the last in January 2030. German procurement is also handled via the FMS program.

dr Gerd Portugall

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