The US Army has contracted Boeing to produce 12 new CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift tactical transport helicopters for the Egyptian Air Force.
This new contract comes as part of a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) – worth $426m – and will allow the Egyptian Air Force to replace its 16-strong fleet of legacy CH-47D Chinooks with the more modern F-model variant, which will come with advanced multi-mission capabilities. The deal continues more than 40 years of partnership on CH-47 operations between Boeing and the Egyptian air arm, which acquired its first Chinooks in 1981. Boeing anticipates that deliveries of the new CH-47Fs to the Egyptian Air Force will begin in 2026.
Ken Eland, vice president and H-47 programme manager at Boeing, highlighted how the new CH-47Fs will enhance the Egyptian Air Force’s airlift capabilities. “The F-model aircraft will enhance Egypt’s Chinook capabilities and help effectively accomplish its heavy-lift objectives. Boeing’s partnership with the Egyptian Air Force remains strong as we continue to work together to modernise their fleet,” he said.
With a global fleet of more than 950 aircraft operated by the US Army and 19 other international customers around the world, Boeing’s CH-47F Chinook is fitted with the Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS), complete with a fully integrated, digital cockpit management system. The helicopter boasts advanced cargo-handling capabilities, which complement the aircraft’s mission performance and handling characteristics in a greater capacity than the legacy versions of the Chinook family.
Egypt’s move to recapitalise its Chinook fleet was first noted on May 26, 2022, when the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) revealed that US State Department approval had been given for the possible FMS of 23 CH-47Fs and related equipment and support services to the Egyptian government for an estimated cost of $2.6bn. The deal also included the provision of 56 Honeywell T-55-GA-714A turboshaft engines, 75 7.62mm M240 machine guns and 29 AN/AAR-57 Common Missile Warning Systems (CMWS), along with an unspecified number of Fast Rope Insertion Extraction Systems (FRIES); external cargo slings and nets; rescue hoists and Bambi buckets for aerial firefighting purposes.
Vince Logsdon, vice president of Boeing’s International Business Development division, added: “Boeing is committed to supporting the defence modernisation mission of the Egyptian Armed Forces and ensuring the best capability for Egypt’s national defence and security.”
The Egyptian Air Force received its first 15 CH-47C Chinooks – which were initially destined for Iran – in 1981. Of the 15 delivered, 12 were upgraded to CH-47D standard between 2002 and 2005, with the remaining three examples either being phased out of operational service or lost to attrition. The 12 former CH-47Cs were supplemented by four new-build CH-47Ds, which were delivered between 1999-2000 and grew the Egyptian Air Force’s overall Chinook fleet to 16 aircraft. These helicopters are operated by No 18 Squadron at Kom Ashwim Air Base. It remains unclear as to when the Egyptian air arm plans to phase out its CH-47D fleet, but it is not expected to happen until deliveries of the F-model begin later this decade.
