Boeing has been awarded a $131 million contract modification for four additional Chinook special operations helicopters for the U.S. Army, the Department of Defense said in a release.
“The Boeing Co., Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, was awarded a $131,142,877 modification (P00003) to contract W91215-16-G-0001 for the procurement of four MH-47G Block II aircraft,” the Wednesday, July 11 release said.
The estimated completion date is June 29, 2020.
The MH-47G is the special operations variant of Boeing’s CH-47 Chinook multi-role, heavy-lift helicopter used by the U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command.
In a press release, Boeing said: “By incorporating key Block II features we significantly extend the service life, enhance performance, and maintain Chinook’s position as the world’s preeminent special operations helicopter.”
The MH-47G is used in heavy-lift missions such as troop, weapons, vehicles and other equipment transportation, as well as civil and humanitarian relief missions. It can conduct long-range missions at a low level and in adverse weather conditions during the day and at night.
The helicopter is armed with two M134 7.62mm electrically operated, air-cooled mini guns and two M240 7.62mm belt-fed machine guns mounted on either side of the fuselage.
The U.S. Army has 69 of the special operations Chinooks. Boeing is also developing a Block II configuration for the CH-47F variant.
Saudi Arabia is set to buy eight of the helicopters from Boeing under a $26 million contract modification announced in May. In April, the U.S. Department of State approved a possible $1.3 billion sale of 17 CH-47F Chinooks to Spain with unique modifications.
