Boeing has secured a $246.48m contract to build six additional MH-47G Block II Chinooks for the US Army Special Operations Aviation Command (USASOAC).

The order also includes the provision of spares.

Delivery of the Chinooks in this contract is scheduled to take place in 2023.

With this order, Boeing has now been contracted for 30 MH-47G Block II Chinooks. The company has already delivered four jets.

Under the latest contract, these aircraft will be the first to feature the new Active Parallel Actuator Subsystem (APAS).

Boeing had selected BAE Systems to develop APAS on the CH-47F and MH-47G Chinook aircraft.

APAS is a mission system that aids manoeuvrability, increases flight safety and improves the reliability of the aircraft.

Boeing vice-president and H-47 programme manager Andy Builta said: “APAS is one of many next-level capabilities that allows the Chinook to deliver more payload faster, farther and smarter.”

The MH-47G is a special operations variant of the CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopter.

It features an enhanced structure and new lighter weight fuel pods to improve performance, efficiency, and commonality.

The Chinooks are expected to enhance the capability of the US Armed Forces when conducting challenging missions.

In September last year, Boeing delivered the first MH-47G Block II Chinook to the USSOCOM, just a month after the company secured a $265m order to deliver an additional nine MH-47G Block II Chinook helicopters.