LONDON, Sept. 01, 1995 -- Boeing Defense & Space Group, Helicopters Division, and the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence Procurement Executive have completed contract negotiations for the procurement of 14 HC Mk II Chinook heavy-life helicopters for the British Royal Air Force.
The contract follows a March 1995 announcement by then- Defence Secretary Malcolm Rifkind to procure new Chinook helicopters to expand the support helicopter fleet of the Royal Air Force (RAF).
During today's ceremonial contract signing, Air Marshal Sir Roger Austin, deputy chief of Defence Procurement (Operations), said he was delighted to be able to order more Chinooks for the RAF. The aircraft has proven its value in Operation Granby in Kuwait, in Kurdish relief operations and during the Falklands war.
The contract, valued at approximately a240 million British pounds (US $365 million) calls for deliveries to begin in 1997 and continue through early 1999.
"We are pleased to formalize the latest chapter in our partnership with the United Kingdom and the RAF," said Denton Hanford, vice president/general manager, Helicopters Division, who also attended the ceremony. "This is the fifth major Chinook procurement by the RAF and we value their confidence in the Chinook's performance."
For nearly 15 years, the RAF has flown the Chinook to handle its troop and large-load transport missions for the British Army. In 1990 Boeing won the contract to upgrade the existing RAF Chinook fleet, numbering more than 30, to the HC Mk II standard, which is roughly equivalent to the U.S. Army's CH-47D. Additionally, the RAF has three new Chinooks on order to replace operational losses. Both programs are due for completion this year.
The new procurement and current RAF business will mean that the RAF will operate a fleet of nearly 50 Chinooks. This makes the U.K. the largest operator of Boeing-built Chinooks outside the U.S. Chinooks are operated by 18 nations.
The HC Mk II and CH-47D are the world's most advanced heavy- lift helicopters. They are built by Boeing Defense & Space Group, Helicopters Division, located near Philadelphia, a unit of The Boeing Company, whose headquarters are in Seattle.