Army takes delivery of two Chinook helicopters

Minister for Defence Stephen Smith and Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare have announced that two additional CH-47D Chinook helicopters have been handed over to the Australian Defence Force in Townsville.

The purchase of the two ex-United States Army helicopters was approved by Government last November following the loss of a CH-47D Chinook on operations in Afghanistan in May 2011.

The CH-47D Chinook undertakes a wide range of missions, including troop movement, battlefield equipment transport, search and rescue and disaster relief roles.

These two aircraft will allow Army to more effectively manage its training and operational support programs whilst continuing to support continued operations in Afghanistan. 

The Chinooks have been deployed on Operation Slipper in Afghanistan since 2006.

The Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) has been supported by a range of Australian companies to achieve the delivery of these aircraft to Army on schedule and to budget. 

Companies such as Nova Defence, Townsville’s BAE Systems, Flying Colours Aviation and Columbia Helicopter Incorporated have helped support the successful delivery of these aircraft.

The CH-47D fleet will be replaced with seven new CH-47F Chinook helicopters from around 2016.

June this year, an Australian Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter suffered a hard landing during combat support operations at a Coalition force patrol base in Kandahar province. 

Due to the damage to the aircraft, it may not return to service prior to the end of July when the current CH-47 rotation in Afghanistan is due to complete operations. 

A decision will be made as to the most cost-effective location for repairs, which could result in returning the aircraft to Australia.