Germany approves budget for Chinook buy

A rendering of a Boeing CH-47F Chinook helicopter in Luftwaffe service. (Boeing)

The Budget Committee of the German parliament approved the procurement of 60 Boeing CH-47F Block II Chinook heavy-lift helicopters on 5 July.

The EUR6.98 billion (USD7.61 billion) budget approval came about two months after the US government gave the green light for the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme that includes 60 extended-range helicopters, as well as mission equipment, spares, training, transportation, and support. The deal is financed from funds from the Bundeswehr special fund.

“Good and correct decision! A mature helicopter used by many partners. Another big step towards a turning point,” Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz, chief of the Luftwaffe, said in response to the budgetary approval.

Germany selected the Chinook for its Schwerer Transporthubschrauber (STH) requirement in June 2022. In securing the requirement to replace the Luftwaffe's 70 VFW-Sikorsky CH-53G-series Stallion helicopters, the Chinook beat off competition from the Lockheed Martin CH-53K King Stallion.

“Together with our Chinook Deutschland team [AERO-Bildungs GmbH, Airbus Helicopters Deutschland, CAE GmbH, ESG Elektroniksystem- und Logistik-GmbH, Lufthansa Technik AG, Honeywell Aerospace, and Rolls-Royce Deutschland] we have committed ourselves to optimally supporting the Bundeswehr's requirements for a new heavy-lift helicopter. The CH-47F Chinook is a proven and extremely capable utility helicopter. It has served as a proven workhorse for numerous NATO missions for many years and will significantly strengthen Germany's interoperability with the US, NATO, and allied nations. We are pleased to be able to deliver the CH-47F Block II Chinook to the Bundeswehr,“ Boeing said.

Deliveries will take place from 2027 to 2033.