Boeing announced that it had delivered the 20th CH-47F Chinook to the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF), completing the service’s fleet order for the aircraft.
Fleet update complete.
Congrats to @Kon_Luchtmacht on receiving its 20th CH-47F #Chinook aircraft! Hear @Defensie‘s LTC Wil van Rijn discuss how the modernized F-model enables Royal Netherlands Air Force pilots to operate efficiently in different environments. pic.twitter.com/3GwCS9J37u
— Boeing Defense (@BoeingDefense) November 14, 2022
The Netherlands is one of eight NATO countries to operate the Chinook and has continued to order the aircraft since receiving its first CH-47D models in 1995.
In 2016, the RNLAF purchased 14 new CH-47F Chinooks through the US Department of Defense’s Foreign Military Sales program, Boeing said.
In 2017, the RNLAF signed an agreement to upgrade its remaining six D-model Chinook helicopters to the latest F-model configuration.
“Our continuing partnership with the Royal Netherlands Air Force exemplifies the value of a modern and versatile Chinook fleet,” Ken Eland, vice president and H-47 program manager for Boeing said in a statement.
“These state-of-the art aircraft will significantly improve their defense and humanitarian assistance capabilities,” Eland added.
“This is a milestone for us. We have newer radios and newer equipment which help our pilots operate better in different environments than we do already,” LTC Wil van Rijn, senior system integrator of the Chinook, Dutch Ministry of Defence said.
BChinook is an advanced multi-mission helicopter containing a fully integrated, digital cockpit management system compatible with Common Avionics Architecture System.
