The US State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Australia for three additional CH-47F Chinooks, related equipment and support. The estimated cost is $US180 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on December 18, 2015.
The Commonwealth has requested a possible sale of:
- Three CH-47F Chinook Helicopters
- Six T55-GA-714A Aircraft Turbine Engines
- Three Force XXI Battle Command, Brigade & Below (FBCB2)/Blue Force Tracker
- Three Common Missile Warning Systems
- Three Honeywell H-764 Embedded Global Positioning/Inertial Navigation Systems
- Three Infrared Signature Suppression Systems
The agency statement said the propsed sale "will enhance the foreign policy and national security objectives of the US by helping to improve the security of a strategic partner which has been, and continues to be an important force for political stability and economic progress within the Pacific region and globally".
Australia's heavy lift capability will be improved with the CH-47F aircraft replacing retiring CH-47D aircraft. There are currently seven F-models in the process of being phased into Australian service.
The principal contractor will be the Boeing Helicopter Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. F-model improvements notably include a monolithic airframe. This method of machining an airframe structure rather than using sheet metal and rivets substantially reduces the number of parts required, cutting production, operational and sustainment costs. Boeing says the new process also reduces vibrations, leading to higher operational availability.
Other advances include the replacement of analogue avionics systems with digital systems that will reduce maintenance and enhance digital interoperability in the high-tech battlespace.
The Defence Security Cooperation Agency statement said notice of a potential sale is required by law and does not mean the sale has been concluded.