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Boeing wins five-year CH-47F maintenance contract

written by australianaviation.com.au | October 25, 2016
An Australian Army loadmaster performs pre-flight checks on an Army CH-47F Chinook helicopter on the flightline at RAAF Base Townsville in Queensland on 23 August 2016.
An Army CH-47F Chinook prepares to depart Townsville. (Defence)

Boeing Defence Australia has been awarded a five-year contract valued at up to $20 million to provide maintenance to the Army’s new fleet of CH-47F Chinook helicopters at Townsville.

“The contract integrates defence industry and Australian Defence Force workforces to provide an efficient, flexible and effective maintenance team for Australia’s Chinook helicopter capability,” Minister for Defence Industry Christopher Pyne said in a statement announcing the contract.

The Army’s 5 Aviation Regiment operates 10 Boeing CH-47F ‘Foxtrot’ Chinooks from RAAF Base Townsville, with the heavy-lift helicopters delivered in 2015 and 2016 to replace older CH-47D model Chinooks. Boeing Defence Australia had provided CH-47D maintenance at Townsville since 2010.

In other CH-47F Chinook news, first-of-class flight trials aboard the Navy’s Canberra class amphibious assault ship HMAS Adelaide have been completed.

Adelaide embarked the helicopters in early August in order to assess all aspects of ship, aircraft and equipment interfaces to enable the development of recommendations for embarked operating envelopes, Navy Daily reported earlier this month.

Over seven weeks in August and September, the ship sailed from Tasmania to Darwin to conduct the cold and hot weather aspects of the trial. During that time, the Chinooks flew a total of 119 hours and conducted 625 deck landings.

An Australian Army CH47F Chinook helicopter hovers over the forward end of HMAS Adelaide's flight deck to conduct a vertical replenishment transfer during First of Class Flight Trials at Port Arthur, Tasmania.
A CH-47F during first of class flight trials with HMAS Adelaide. (Defence)

 

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Comments (6)

  • Dan

    says:

    Fantastic news, is the Army looking at getting a few more?

  • Craigy

    says:

    nice view, Mount Louisa in the background with the TACAN on top, Brings back fond memories

  • That Ron guy

    says:

    What a surprise. The manufacturer of the helicopters “wins” the contract to maintain them. I remember the days when the air force used to do all that itself. Sounds like the minister for Defence Industry is keeping the defence industry very happy.

  • Fabian

    says:

    They should get 2 more to return to its original at 12 aircraft

  • Mick181

    says:

    There is no current plan for any more and probably no money to spare. The Army wants new SF helos and a possible Tiger replacement so their efforts will be elsewhere.

  • Craigy

    says:

    @that ron guy. It is actually more cost effective to have contractors to provide certain maintenance and leaving defence to provide the mission and deployed maintenance. The US has worked this way for decades

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