Pictured is a CH-47F Block I transport helicopter, manufcatured by Boeing, hovering with only the rear wheels touching the edge of the cliff, 26 August 2010. Credit: US Army.

Boeing have called on the Polish Armed Forces to consider the latest Chinook CH-47F Block II transport helicopter during the MSPO International Defence Industry Exhibition in Kielce this week.

The CH-47F Block II is the latest version of the Chinook, providing increased lift and range. It builds upon the capabilities of the CH-47 Chinook, offering an upgraded platform that meets the capability that serves as a strong foundation for affordable future upgrades.

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The potential Polish purchase would come after the platform’s adoption in Germany, whose government ordered 60 units to be delivered from 2027, besides several US armed services.

Boeing’s call will cultivate a growing list of potential users of the latest iteration in Europe. Already, the Spanish Army operate 17 Block I units, the Greek Army use 26 while the Royal Netherlands Air Force fly 20 according to GlobalData intelligence.

The foundations are already laid for the modernisation of Europe’s legacy Chinooks. A nudge from the prime may get the ball rolling, just as it had for the US Army, which is on path to converting 465 Chinooks to Block II as of 1 July 2024.

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Poland and Germany

However, Poland is not a typical case: the Central European nation has never used the Chinook. Nevertheless, this had been the case for Germany too, a neighbouring country that still opted for the Boeing helicopter, albeit a highly customised variant, in May 2023.

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Germany and Poland’s entry into Europe’s Chinook club may convince Block I users to modernise their extant legacy fleets to the coveted configuration more affordably when the time comes to upgrade.

This may be some time yet as the supplier agreed upon the final Block I contract in July 2023.

New Apache fleet

A crucial part of the Boeing’s argument for Poland to acquire the new transport rotocraft is that it would be highly complementary with its forthcoming Apache attack helicopters.

After expressing a desire to acquire Boeing’s AH-64E Apache back in September 2022, the government gained the approval of the US Department of Defense in August 2023.

With the AH-64E in production until at least 2028, Boeing anticipates the Apache serving the US Army and its partner nations into the 2060s.

“Operating the Chinook in tandem with the newly acquired Apaches will serve as a force multiplier for the Polish Armed Forces due to their complementary capabilities,” said Adam Hodges, business development for Vertical Lift Programmes.

“The combination of the Apache and Chinook helicopters provides greater operational effectiveness and the ability to conduct a wider range of missions.”