If the acquisition of heavy lift helicopters [HTL] debated regularly in France, this is not the case elsewhere, where this question has long since been clarified. Such is the case with South Korea, for example, whose armed forces deploy around 30 CH-47D Chinooks.
And for the latter, there is no question of doing without such a capacity, even if the maintenance is in working order [MCO] of their devices is proving complicated due to difficulties in obtaining spare parts, especially for the older versions.
Nevertheless, in December 2021, the South Korean Ministry of Defense decided to renew part of the CH-47D Chinooks deployed by its ground forces [RoKA, pour Republic of Korea Army] by 22 new devices. It remained to know which type of helicopter to choose, since this market could only be played between Leonardo’s AW-101, Sikorsky’s CH-53 King Stallion and Boeing’s CH-47F Chinook.
Finally, in July, Seoul announced its preference for the second…as well as a lowering of its ambitions as it now came down to ordering 18 devices at a cost of about $1.06 billion under the “Heavylift Helicopter II” program”.
As a reminder, compared to the CH-47D, the CH-47F has a CAAS-compliant cockpit [common aviation architecture system]with modernized avionics, advanced digital flight control system [DAFCS]increased protection and more powerful engines.
In this case, the South Korean government will undoubtedly have to increase the framework provided for this purchase. In fact, on April 6, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which is responsible for exporting American military equipment through “Foreign Military Sales,” [FMS] issued an advisory recommending that Congress authorize the sale of 18 CH-47F Chinooks to South Korea at an estimated cost of US$1.5 billion.
In addition to the aircraft delivery, this sum includes the delivery of six T55-GA-714A replacement engines, various communication systems as well as AN/APR-39 radar warning systems and AN/APX-123A IFF transponders.
“The proposed sale will improve the Republic of Korea’s ability to respond to current and future threats by strengthening its army’s heavy transport capabilities,” the DSCA reasoned, specifying that these helicopters would be used for “medical evacuation missions, rescue, parachuting” and Natural Disaster Relief”.
However, it is not excluded that Seoul will order more CH-47F Chinooks in the coming years … If only to complete the RoKA lineup and replace the aircraft used by the southern special forces – both Korean and those HH-47Ds of the RoKAF’s 231st Combat Search and Rescue Squadron [Republic of Korea Air Force].