The U.S. Army has awarded Boeing a contract valued at $876.4 million for logistics, training and engineering services in support of 60 CH-47F Block II cargo helicopters.
Work on the contract will be performed in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, until Oct. 28, 2035, according to the Department of Defense.
The Army Contracting Command in Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, serves as the contracting activity.
Army Buys CH-47F Helicopters From Boeing
The new contract follows two Army contracts worth a total of $461 million that Boeing received for the production of nine helicopters under Lots 4 and 5, bringing the number of Block II aircraft under contract at that time to 18.
Army officials have approved a Rapid Fielding production decision that authorizes Block II procurement in fiscal years 2025 and 2026. The service plans to field CH-47F Block II helicopters to two combat brigades as part of its heavy-lift modernization effort.
What Role Will the CH-47F Block II Play in Future Operations?
The CH-47F Chinook is a multi-mission heavy-lift helicopter designed for cargo and troop transport, casualty evacuation, search and rescue, humanitarian and disaster relief, and special operations.
Block II offers structural and design improvements to its predecessors to meet modern military needs.
“With the Block II Chinook’s increased gross weight and increased torque available, we can carry more,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jordan Brooks, maintenance test pilot of the Golf Company, 6th Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, in September. “Imagining just a single serial of Block II Chinooks versus Block I Chinooks, (Block II Chinooks) can carry more Soldiers and equipment, and carry them further.”
