Defense Industry Daily August 11, 2009
Egypt Continues Upgrade of Chinook Helicopter Inventory
Egypt originally purchased the CH-47C Chinooks in 1980. In 1998, Egypt undertook to modernize its inventory of US Chinook helicopters from the older CH-47Cs to the upgraded CH-47D, ordering 4 newly built CH-47Ds from Boeing that year. In 2002, the country’s air force began modernizing its existing 15 CH-47Cs, signing a contract with Boeing to upgrade 12 of them to the CH-47D model by the end of 2004. The 3 remaining CH-47Cs were expected to be turned into maintenance trainers.
In its continuing effort to add CH-47Ds to its air force, Egypt recently asked to buy 6 CH-47D Chinook helicopters and related equipment worth a total of $308 million from the US government, according to an Aug 06/09 announcement by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (US DSCA)...
CH-47D
The CH-47D is an upgraded version of the CH-47A/B/C Chinook helicopter models, notes Globalsecurity.org. The CH-47D has a number of improvements over the earlier models: upgraded power plants, rotor transmissions, integral lubrication and cooling for the transmission systems, fiberglass rotor blades, redesigned cockpit to reduce pilot workload, redundant and improved electrical systems, modularized hydraulic systems, an advanced flight control system, and improved avionics.
With a maximun speed of 163 mph (142 knots), the CH-47D carries twice the load of a CH-47A and has improved performance. The CH-47D can operate at night and in nearly all weather conditions and is equipped with an air-to-air refueling probe. The Chinook can accommodate a variety of internal payloads, including vehicles, artillery pieces, 33 to 44 troops, or 24 litters plus 2 medical attendants. The Chinook can be equipped with 2 door mounting M60D 7.62mm machine guns on the M24 armament subsystem and a ramp mounting M60D using the M41 armament subsystem. The CH-47D can carry up to 26,000 pounds externally and has 3 cargo hooks: a center (main) hook and 2 additional hooks fore and aft of the main hook.
“Boeing in Flight on Production of (Re)New H-47 Chinooks” takes an in-depth look at the next generation of Chinooks – the CH-47F/MH-47G
Contracts and Key Events
Aug 6/09: The US DSCA announced [PDF] Egypt’s formal request to buy CH-47Ds and related equipment for a potential contract value of $308 million. Specific items requested include:
* 6 CH-47D Chinook helicopters
* 16 T55-GA-714A engines
* 8 AN/APR-39A(V)1 radar signal detecting sets with mission data sets
* 8 AN/ARC-117 transponders with TS-4530 interrogator/transponder test sets
* 8 AN/ARC-220 (RT-1749) high frequency aircraft communication systems
* flight and radar signal simulators
* 3 M978A4 HEMTT fuel tanker trucks
* 2 fork lift trucks
* related equipment and support
The prime contractor is Boeing Helicopter Co. in Philadelphia, PA. Egypt intends to use the helicopters in support of its armed forces, disaster relief efforts, and joint exercises with US forces in the region.
July 22/02: Boeing announced orders from Egypt to upgrade 12 of the country’s 15 CH-47C Chinook helicopters to the US Army CH-47D standard. Boeing intended to upgrade the helicopters in 2 batches: 6 to be delivered in 2002 and 2003, and 6 more to be delivered in 2003 and 2004. The remaining 3 CH-47C were expected to be converted into maintenance trainers.
Aug 28/98: Boeing announced that it received a contract from the US Army for the procurement of 4 CH-47D Chinook helicopters for the Egyptian air force, under the foreign military sales program. Final deliveries of the Chinooks to Egypt were scheduled for the third quarter of 1999. The 4 CH-47Ds were equipped with engine air particle separators and other systems to meet mission requirements in the desert environment.
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