US Army Receives First Boeing CH-47F Block II Aircraft

Boeing announced the delivery of an upgraded CH-47F Chinook aircraft to the U.S. Army, the first out of 465 aircraft to undergo modernization as part of the Block II program.

Heather McBryan, vice president and program manager of cargo programs at Boeing, said the Block II program will allow the service to “lift more, fly farther and maintain their aircraft better than ever before.”

The Block II program is designed to equip the Chinooks with an improved drivetrain, a reinforced airframe and an enhanced fuel system. It also offers improved aircraft sustainment with the installation of a new rotor system that minimizes unscheduled maintenance and a simplified fuel system that reduces maintenance costs, Boeing said.

The vendor has been supplying the U.S. government with a wide range of aircraft. In 2020, it secured a contract from the Army to deliver nine additional MH-47G Block II Chinook helicopters for the Special Operations Aviation Command.

Boeing also secured a deal from the Department of Defense in 2023 to supply 18 CH-47F Block I Chinook heavy-lift helicopters for South Korea and an additional aircraft for Spain.