By Ann Roosevelt
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla.–Boeing [BA] will be producing CH-47F Chinook helicopters for Australia in the near future now that Australia’s government has given second pass approval to a project to acquire seven of the helicopters for approximately $666.5 million.
“It’s good news,” Jack Dougherty, Boeing vice president, Program Management Operations Rotorcraft Division, told Defense Daily at the Association of the United States Army Winter Symposium here.
“It will be a Foreign Military Sales procurement and, working with the Army, Boeing will submit a proposal for the helicopters,” he said.
Australia’s Minister for Defence John Faulkner said, “the Government has now approved the details of this procurement, announced in last year’s White Paper, which will replace the existing fleet of six CH-47D Chinooks,” Faulkner said. “These new helicopters will give the ADF (Australian Defense Force) a robust, deployable medium-lift helicopter capability out to 2040.”
Faulkner described the existing Chinook helicopters as the mainstay of the ADF’s deployable medium-lift helicopter capability. He said the Chinook was an exceptionally versatile aircraft, capable of performing a wide range of roles, including moving combat units into battle, carrying out frontline aero-medical evacuation and performing a vital role in disaster relief.
Dougherty said back in the 1980s Australia originally bought 12 Chinooks, in the C configuration.
Faulkner said while the existing fleet of D-model Chinooks had provided outstanding support to the ADF since entering service in 1995, the aircraft faced increasing capability and support issues and had been replaced in production by the new F model.
“Capability and support issues in the current Chinook helicopters will be addressed with the acquisition of the new model aircraft, which will bring safety, supportability and operational benefits to the ADF,” he said.
Faulkner said the new aircraft will be procured and maintained in the same broad configuration as the United States Army Chinooks, the principal CH-47F operator. This will provide enhanced benefits to the ADF in areas including spares, support, training and airworthiness.
Australia will consider whether to participate in the United States Chinook Product Improvement Program when information on this program is of second pass quality. Participation in this program would align the configuration of Australian Chinooks with future U.S. Army Chinooks.
Australia’s plan is to have the first CH-47F aircraft enter service in 2014, with all seven in service by 2017.