WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army has awarded Boeing a $426 million contract to produce 12 CH-47F Chinook for the Egyptian Air Force, the company announced Tuesday.
The contract comes more than seven months after the U.S. State Department approved the foreign military sale on May 26 for Egypt to buy 23 “F” models and related equipment for $2.6 billion.
This is the first contract as part of that potential sale, and the country has the option to purchase 11 more, a spokesman with Boeing told.
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Egypt plans to replace its fleet of CH-47D Chinook 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.
In its notification to Congress, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said the sale would help improve Egypt’s security as a major non-NATO ally of the United States. The United States and 19 other countries operate more than 950 Chinooks.
Initial deliveries are to begin in 2026.
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The U.S. Army also ordered two other CH-47F Chinook helos for itself, the company spokesman said.
The aircraft type features a digital cockpit management system, a Common Avionics Architecture System cockpit and advanced cargo-handling capabilities, Boeing said in the statement.