UK government requests 16 more Chinooks

The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress on October 19, 2018, of a possible sale of 16 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters to the United Kingdom.

The $3.5 billion deal covers 16 H-47 (Extended Range) Chinooks, together equipment including 40 Dillion Aerospace M143D-T miniguns, 40 M240H machine guns, common missile warning systems, multi-mode radars and RF countermeasures capability, plus spares and support.

The DSCA said: “The proposed sale will improve the United Kingdom’s ability to meet current and future threats by providing a heavy (sic) lift rotary-wing capability able to execute missions in extreme environments a ross a full range of military operations.”

Three Royal Air Force squadrons currently operate a mixed fleet of 60 Chinooks based at RAF Benson, Oxfordshire and RAF Odiham, Hampshire. Nigel Pittaway