US Army signs for more MH-47G Block II Chinooks

On July 31, Boeing announced that it had been awarded a US$265m contract to build and deliver nine more MH-47G Block II Chinook helicopters for the US Army’s Special Operations Aviation Command.

The announcement of this contract means that the company will now produce 24 examples of the heavy-lift tactical transport helicopter for the US Army. The US Army is scheduled to receive its first example by the end of 2020.

MH-47G [US Army/SSgt Reed Knutson] #1
An MH-47G Chinook - operated by the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) 'Night Stalkers' - flies low over Fort Campbell, Kentucky, in September 2016. US Army/SSgt Reed Knutson

Andy Builta, vice president and H-47 programme manager at Boeing, said: “The G-model is a critical asset for the army, our nation and the [defence] industrial base… We’re [honoured] that the army’s special operators trust us to deliver it.”

Boeing’s MH-47G Block II features an improved structure and is lighter than other members of the Chinook family. For instance, it employs lightweight fuel pods to increase the aircraft’s overall efficiency, performance and commonality across the fleet. The platform also employs a new drivetrain and improved rotor blades.