Germany will buy 60 Boeing CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift military helicopters for around 5 billion euros ($5.4 billion), Bild am Sonntag reported, citing government sources.
The aircraft edged out Sikorsky-Rheinmetall’s CH-53K King Stallion to clinch the contract to replace the German Air Force’s CH-53 Sea Stallion, due to retire by 2030. The first Chinook is expected to arrive in 2025-26.
Boeing and Airbus Helicopters came together in March to pitch the aircraft for the heavy transport helicopter program, or STH (Schwerer Transporthubschrauber).
The partnership includes a consortium of German firms including AERO-Bildung GmbH, CAE Elektronik GmbH, ESG Elektroniksystem- und Logistik-GmbH, Lufthansa Technik, Honeywell Aerospace and Rolls-Royce Deutschland.
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The CH-47F is an upgraded version of the CH-47D first rolled out in 2006. It can fly at over 175 miles per hour (282 kilometers/hour) and carry a payload of more than 21,000 pounds (9,500 kg).
The US Army is upgrading the aircraft, which will increase its maximum takeoff weight by eight percent.
The funding for the purchase will reportedly come from the special military fund of 100 billion euros ($106 billion) the country announced following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
