The purchasing office of the Bundeswehr, the Bundeswehr, BAAINBw in the person of President Annette Lehnigk-Emden, has signed the so-called Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) for the purchase of the CH-47F Chinook helicopters as part of the “Heavy Transport Helicopter” project.
The federal government had announced in June 2022 that the CH-47F Chinook had been selected to meet its requirements for the Bundeswehr heavy-duty helicopter (STH) program.
Procurement takes place at state level between the German federal government and the US government in the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process. This authorizes the US government, represented in this case by the US military, to conclude a corresponding contract with the manufacturer Boeing for the procurement of 60 CH-47F Chinook helicopters for Germany. The cost is estimated at around 6.98 billion euros and the purchase is to be made with money from the special defense fund, which Chancellor Scholz announced last year.
In February 2021, after Russia invaded Ukraine, Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised to drastically increase defense spending and put 100 billion euros into the German armed forces. This was a major political shift for the country after decades of military attrition. With these 100 billion euros, Scholz wants to bring the armament and equipment of the Bundeswehr back to a very high standard after the end of the Cold War after decades of wear and tear. The lion’s share of these special funds, around 40 billion euros, will be spent on air defense capacities, according to defense sources.
The Bundeswehr will be equipped with the latest “Block II Standard Range” version of the legendary Chinook helicopter with on-board refueling capability. The helicopters will gradually replace the Bundeswehr’s aging CH-53G/GE/GS/GA fleet as “workhorses” for the air transport of vehicles, material and personnel. The new machines are scheduled for delivery between 2027 and 2033.
Commissioned in 1972 and has been in service for 50 years. Of the original fleet of 112 CH-53Gs, just over half are still in active service, some 66 examples being responsible for the 64th Laupheim Helicopter Squadron, which is economically and service-intensive to operate, as they are also heavily worn out from intensive use in Afghanistan.
With the CH-47F Chinook helicopters, the German Armed Forces will use a tried-and-tested, modern and future-proof helicopter model that is used worldwide, of which more than 500 are already in service with partners and allies. With the purchase of the helicopter, international cooperation will be facilitated and strengthened.
In addition, troops can use these helicopters for additional tasks, including armed rescue and individual recovery. One of the great advantages of the Chinook is that many NATO partners are already using this helicopter, namely the Netherlands, Spain, Great Britain, Italy, Greece, the United States, Canada and Turkey, and this would allow extensive cooperation on maintenance as well.