A new CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopter is unloaded from a United Stated C-5 Galaxy at RAAF Base Townsville, Queensland. Photo credit: Trooper Lisa Sherman, ADF
The Australian Defence Force is spending $595-million on four new CH-47F Chinook helicopters to upgrade its heavy-lift battlefield aviation capability.
Australia’s current fleet of Chinook helicopters will thus grow from 10 to 14 by mid-2022, when the third and fourth helicopters are supplied.
The first two were delivered to the Army’s 5th Aviation Regiment in Townsville this week aboard a large US military transport aircraft, the C-5 Galaxy.
Peter Dutton, Australia’s Minister for Defence, welcomed their arrival and said the rapid delivery, approximately three months after the sale was approved, highlighted the country’s excellent strategic working relationship with the United States.
“The additional helicopters will strengthen Army’s airlift capability into the future and increase the ADF’s ability to support operations globally,” he explained.
“The Chinook is Defence’s largest helicopter, with a long and proven track record of supporting ADF operations in Australia, our near region and further afield.”
Dutton added that the local defence industry would continue to be heavily involved in supporting the ongoing operations of the Chinook fleet, and the Federal Government would invest millions over the next 20 years into businesses providing that support.
In March, Defence Industry Minister Melissa Price said the Boeing-built Chinooks were an important lift and troop transport capability on operations in Afghanistan from 2006 to 2013, and were more recently deployed in support of Operation Bushfire Assist in 2019-2020.
“During the devastating bushfire season, Australian Army Chinooks provided support to firefighting operations and delivered humanitarian assistance to remote and isolated communities in South Australia and Victoria,” Price said.
The Army describes the CH-47 Chinook as a “versatile, twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter”.
Its top speed of 170 knots (315km/h) is faster than many contemporary utility and attack helicopters. Its primary roles include troop movement, artillery emplacement and battlefield resupply. There is a wide loading ramp at the rear of the fuselage and three external-cargo hooks underneath.
The 5th Aviation Regiment was formed in 1987 after the Army took over responsibility for operating helicopters from the Royal Australian Air Force. The regiment is based at RAAF Base Townsville,