Boeing Defence Australia will proceed to help the upkeep, coaching and sustainment companies for Military’s fleet of 14 CH-47F Chinook helicopters following a contract extension signed by Australian Authorities Division of Defence. Boeing awarded a $41 million contract extension would guarantee continued help for the Chinook fleet over the subsequent 5 years. The extension will see the overall contract worth elevated to $146 million. Australia’s CH-47F Chinook fleet relies in Townsville, with upkeep and sustainment service help supplied in Oakey and Brisbane. The contract extension will add a further 15 ongoing positions and three apprenticeship workers for Queensland business.
“Chinooks have fashioned a significant factor of Australia’s contribution to battlefield aviation functionality. The Australian Defence Power has a longstanding historical past with Chinooks. The platform has a repute for persistently delivering efficient, secure and reasonably priced functionality for Defence. The CH-47F Chinook fleet is a vital functionality for Defence, offering crucial elevate functionality on a number of home and regional operations, together with Bushfire Help in 2020, and Tonga and Flood Help in 2022,” First Assistant Secretary Joint Aviation System Division, Mr Shane Fairweather stated.
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This contract follows the arrival of two further Chinook helicopters in 2022, which joined the Australian Military Aviation Command’s current 12 CH-47F Chinook medium-lift helicopters operated by C Squadron, fifth Aviation Regiment in Townsville. The Australian Defence Power has operated Boeing CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters for many of the interval since 1974. Thirty 4 of the sort have entered Australian service, comprising twelve CH-47C variants, eight CH-47Ds and fourteen CH-47Fs. The helicopters have been operated by each the Royal Australian Air Power (RAAF) and Australian Military.
The Chinooks have primarily been used to help the Australian Military, although they’ve carried out a variety of different duties. Three Chinooks took half within the Iraq Battle throughout 2003, after they transported provides and Australian particular forces. A detachment of two Chinooks was additionally deployed to Afghanistan through the northern spring and summer time months for every year between 2006 and 2007 and 2008 to 2013, seeing intensive fight. Two of the CH-47s deployed to Afghanistan have been destroyed in crashes. The helicopters have additionally ceaselessly been assigned to help restoration efforts following pure disasters and undertook a spread of civilian development duties whereas being operated by the RAAF.
