More CH-47D's for Oz Army
12 December 2011
Minister for Defence Stephen Smith and the Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare today announced that the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) CH-47D Chinook fleet will be bolstered by a further two helicopters following the loss of one aircraft on operations in Afghanistan in May 2011.
The purchase of the additional CH-47D Chinooks, effected through Defence signing of a Letter of Offer and Acceptance with the United States will bring Australia’s total CH-47D Chinook fleet to seven.
The additional aircraft will reduce pressure on the training and maintenance schedule for the ADF Chinook fleet resulting in enhanced support to the two Chinook’s currently deployed to the Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO).
The two additional aircraft have been sourced from the United States, and will be transported to Australia for servicing and modification to the current Australian CH-47D configuration. The aircraft are expected to arrive in Townsville by the end of January next year and are anticipated to be ready for domestic operations from mid-2012.