Egypt to acquire US 12 CH-47F Chinooks to revamp helicopters fleet

US plane maker Boeing will manufacture 12 CH-47F Chinooks for Egypt as the Arab country moves to modernize its military helicopter fleet.

The US Army has awarded Boeing a $426 million contract for the aircraft. The contract comes more than seven months after the US State Department approved the foreign military sale on May 26 for Egypt to buy 23 “F” models and related equipment for $2.6 billion, online media Defense News reports.

Egypt plans to replace its fleet of CH-47D helos with the “F” model, which will “enhance Egypt’s Chinook capabilities and help effectively accomplish its heavy-lift objectives,” Ken Eland, vice president and H-47 program manager at Boeing, said in a statement.

The sale, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, would help improve Egypt’s security as a major non-NATO ally of the United States. Deliveries of the aircraft are expected to start in 2026.