On Thursday, April 9, 2026, the press service of the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) announced via its WhatsApp channel that final assembly of the first of 60 CH-47F Chinook Block II heavy transport helicopters had begun the previous day at Boeing Philadelphia in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania.
Photos: Luftwaffe
The Luftwaffe reported that the airframe of its first CH-47 entered the production line at Boeing’s Philadelphia plant the day before.
A photograph of the airframe bearing manufacturer serial number M1701 was attached. Nine assembly stations remain ahead of it, and the completed helicopter is expected to leave the line next year and be delivered to the Luftwaffe. Construction of the rotorcraft began in July 2025, and in November the first section – the cargo compartment – was completed (photo below). Although the first production contract, valued at 876.422 million USD, was formally concluded on October 27, 2025,
Under the STH (Schwere Transporthubschrauber, Heavy Transport Helicopter) program, the latest Chinooks were selected by Germany on June 1, 2022, when a counteroffer from Lockheed Martin featuring the CH-53K King Stallion was rejected. On May 11, 2023, the government in Berlin received approval for a package of 60 CH-47F Block II helicopters, valued at up to 8.5 billion EUR.
On July 12, 2023, the Bundeswehr procurement agency BAAINBw (Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr) signed an intergovernmental Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) worth around 6.98 billion EUR for the delivery of the helicopters together with an equipment package. Germany selected the SR AAR (Standard Range; Air-to-Air Refueling) variant.
On March 5 this year, the U.S. company Northrop Grumman announced that it would supply CIRCM (Common Infrared Countermeasures) directed infrared countermeasure suites.
Boeing’s main partner in the CH-47F delivery program for the Luftwaffe is the European company Airbus Helicopters, with which the Americans established a strategic partnership in March 2022. Other program subcontractors include AERO-Bildung, CAE Elektronik, ESG Elektroniksystem- und Logistik, Lufthansa Technik, Honeywell Aerospace, and Rolls-Royce Deutschland.
Under the terms of the agreement, Chinook deliveries will be carried out between 2027 and 2033 and will enable the complete phased retirement of 80 CH-53GA/GE/GS Stallion rotorcraft that have remained in service since 1971. The recipient is to be the Air Force’s 64 Helicopter Wing (Hubschraubergeschwader 64, HSG 64). The Stallions must be fully withdrawn from service by 2030.
Image: Boeing
CH-47F Chinook Block II
The CH-47F Block II variant selected by Germany has been equipped with upgraded Honeywell T55-715 turboshaft engines delivering 20% more power, as well as new ACRB (Advanced Chinook Rotor Blades) composite rotor blades with swept tips. The six-tank fuel configuration, with three tanks on each side of the fuselage, has been replaced by two larger tanks in the sponsons, allowing the helicopter to carry more fuel while reducing weight by 90 kg. The fuselage structure has also been reinforced in key areas to enable the carriage of additional loads. As a result, the maximum takeoff weight has increased from 22,680 to 24,500 kg, and payload capacity from about 9,000 to 10,000 kg. The helicopter is equipped with three 60 kVA generators and the Active Parallel Actuator System (APAS) rotor control system.
So far, the latest Chinooks have been ordered by the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan. In addition, Egypt and South Korea have ordered the helicopters in the Block I version. The latest Chinook is also currently being offered in Poland. On February 27 this year, during the presentation of the general list of tasks and projects to be carried out by the government under the EU SAFE (Security Action for Europe) instrument, Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces General Wiesław Kukuła stated that the funds thereby freed up in the Ministry of National Defence budget would make it possible to purchase, among other things, heavy transport helicopters from the United States, something that had originally been planned only for after 2030.