Boeing announces foreign military sale of 18 Chinooks to South Korea, one to Spain

Boeing will produce 18 CH-47F Block I Chinook helicopters for South Korea and one for Spain as part of a U.S. foreign military sale, the company announced Wednesday.

A June 30 Defense Department notice stated that Boeing was awarded a $793 million firm-fixed-price contract for aircraft, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 30, 2027.

With this sale, Spain increases its fleet of Chinooks to 18 and South Korea joins 15 other “operators” around the world “who benefit from the digital cockpit and advanced cargo handling ability,” according to Boeing’s July 5 announcement.

“While Spain is already reaping the benefits of the aircraft in Europe, we are honored to support South Korea’s heavy-lift helicopter modernization with a versatile product capable of meeting the demanding mission requirements in Asia Pacific,” Boeing’s Vince Logsdon, vice president of global business development and strategic marketing said in the company statement.

In December, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced the State Department had approved a potential $1.5 billion sale of Chinooks and other equipment to South Korea, with the aim of helping the nation conduct missions such as medical evacuation, search and rescue, parachute drops and disaster relief.

Boeing, in its announcement Wednesday, stated this will be the final batch of aircraft to be ordered on the CH-47F Block I contract, as the company transitions to building the advanced Block II version.

The Block II “provides increased lift and range” due to an improved drive train, reinforced airframe and redesigned fuel tanks, according to Boeing. There are currently six of these aircraft under contract with the Army, 36 with Army Special Operations Command and 14 with the United Kingdom. The Army is scheduled to receive its first Block II aircraft in early 2024, according to Boeing. Army officials have said they plan to make a decision on additional procurement of the Block II this year.

Heather McBryan, the H-47 vice president and program manager for Boeing, said in a statement Wednesday that although this foreign military sale “concludes Block I orders as we continue our modernization efforts, we’ll continue supporting our customers’ aircraft as they play a vital role for years to come.”