Helikopter - Australia kjøper CH-47 Chinooks - Australian Aviation / defenceworld.net

Siden Chinook`en er kandidat som nytt hær-helikopter, tar jeg saken med her. Merk deg at Australia har satt alle sine MRH 90`er på bakken. Norge burde kvitte seg med sine. Det blir vel vanskelig, bl.a. fordi den nye GIL jobbet for å få denne typen. (Red.)

AUSTRALIA TAKES DELIVERY OF TWO CHINOOKS AS PART OF $595M DEAL

written by Adam Thorn | July 9, 2021

A new CH-47F Chinook is unloaded from a US C-5 Galaxy at RAAF Base Townsville (Trooper Lisa Sherman, Defence)

Boeing has delivered two of the four new Chinook’s ordered by Australia in a deal that has risen to $595 million.

The iconic aircraft was transported by a US Air Force C-5 Galaxy, pictured above, which has a 70-metre wingspan and weighs more than 172,000kg empty.

The arrival of the Boeing-built heavy-lift helicopters, flown by the Army’s 5th Aviation Regiment, 16th Aviation Brigade at RAAF Base Townsville, comes just weeks after Defence was forced to ground its fleet of 47 Airbus-built MRH-90 Taipan aircraft.

Minister for Defence Peter Dutton welcomed the arrival of the helicopters, which he said would strengthen Army’s airlift capability and support operations across the globe.

“The Chinook is Defence’s largest helicopter, with a long and proven track record of supporting ADF operations in Australia, our near region and further afield,” he said.

“This arrival comes approximately three months after the sale was approved and highlights Australia’s excellent strategic working relationship with the United States.”

Andy Builta, Boeing vice president, Cargo Helicopters and H-47 program manager, said the helicopters are capable of meeting both current and future battlespace requirements.

Fra defencewold.net

Australian Army Takes Delivery of Chinook Helos

• Our Bureau
• 01:27 PM, July 9, 2021
• 553

 

Australian Army's CH-47D Chinook helicopter

The Australian Army received two CH-47 Chinook helicopters, taking the total number of this aircraft in service to 12.

Australia acquired four Chinooks via a foreign military sales agreement for approximately AUD595 million ($441.6 million). The first two aircraft, drawn from U.S. Army stock, were delivered to the Townsville-based 5th Aviation Regiment on 7 July by a U.S. Air Force C-5M Galaxy transport.

Approved by the U.S. State Department in May, the deal also includes eight T55-GA-714A aircraft turbine engines; five AN/AAR-57 Common Missile Warning Systems (CMWS); eight Embedded Global Positioning System (GPS)/Inertial Navigation Systems (INS/EGI) +429; and two EAGLE+429 Embedded Global Positioning System (GPS)/Inertial Navigation Systems (INS/EGI).

The third and fourth CH-47F Chinook helicopters are scheduled to be delivered in mid-2022.