The U.S. Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced that the U.S. State Department had approved the sale of four CH-47F Chinook helicopters to Australia.
The announcements say that the Government of Australia has requested to buy four CH-47F helicopters with customer-unique modifications; eight T55-GA-714A aircraft turbine engines, five AN/AAR-57 Common Missile Warning Systems (CMWS); eight Embedded Global Positioning System (GPS)/Inertial Navigation Systems (INS/EGI) +429; and two EAGLE+429 Embedded Global Positioning System (GPS)/Inertial Navigation Systems (INS/EGI).
“The total estimated value is $259 million,” the DSCA notice says.
Also noted that the proposed sale of this equipment and support will improve Australia’s capability to meet current and future threats, increase operational capabilities, strengthen its homeland defense and promote military cooperation.
In addition, its notice says that these cargo helicopters will be provided from U.S. Army stock.
As noted by Boeing, the CH-47F Chinook is the world’s premier heavy-lift cargo helicopter and continues to evolve through the use of newly-updated state-of-the-art technology.
The CH-47 Foxtrot model has been engineered to include improvements designed to make the helicopter more reliable and keep it flying longer. The newest version of the helicopter contains new avionics, a redesigned ramp and rear rotor pylon, and incorporates new countermeasures against ground to air missiles.
The fuselage has been redesigned to make it more rugged and corrosion resistant. The new version CH-47 is also designed to make it easier to prepare it for shipment in the fuselage of a C-5 or C-17 cargo plane. Externally the CH-47F looks like a CH-47D.