Boeing Readies Delivery Of CH-47F Block II, Preps For International Interest

AURORA, Colorado—Boeing will in the coming weeks deliver the first procurement CH-47F Block II Chinook helicopters to the U.S. Army two months after the service announced its plans for long-term procurement of the heavy-lift helicopter.

The company also is planning new upgrades to the aircraft, including a potential new engine.

Boeing announced in March that the first Block II Chinook for the Army had made its first flight. Heather McBryan, Boeing vice president and H-47 program manager, told reporters on the sidelines of the Army Aviation Association of America conference here April 24 that the delivery is expected within the next “couple weeks.”

Afterward, Boeing expects to deliver the other three in the first production lots every other month throughout the year, McBryan says. These aircraft are in final assembly. The Army plans to use these aircraft for additional testing ahead of a Milestone C production decision that is expected in late fiscal 2025, says Brig. Gen. David Phillips, the Army’s program executive officer for aviation.

Boeing has advanced procurement for an additional six Block II helicopters.

The Army’s decision to move ahead with procurement of the Block II came as Boeing was in “uncertain territory” on the future of the Chinook, building Block I helicopters at the lowest sustainable rate. Now, as the U.S. Army has announceed its plans, the company expects additional international partners to come forward.

“Our customers that have been flying them that are ready for the next generation are going to be coming back,” says Mark Ballew, Boeing’s senior director of vertical-lift business development.
This includes an ongoing competition in South Korea, Germany’s plans and the UK talking about additional modernization of their fleet, Ballew says.

McBryan says features of the Block II Chinook—including a stiffened structure, improved drive train and a redesigned fuel system—could translate well for a new engine. Honeywell and the Army are in a cooperative R&D agreement for a new, drop-in engine: the T55-714C. Boeing also has raised the possibility of adding the Honeywell HTS7500—which powered the Sikorsky-Boeing Defiant X Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft prototype—to the Chinook. These options are still on the table, she says.

For Block I, Boeing plans to deliver the last of 17 aircraft on a base contract to Spain later this year. Helicopters for Egypt will begin final assembly in the third quarter of this year, with delivery expected in mid-2025. Boeing last year received a contract from South Korea for 18 helicopters, with parts being procured ahead of delivery scheduled for 2027.