India formally receives its first Chinook helicopters

The first CH-47FI Chinook of the Indian Air Force during flight tests in Philadelphia, USA.

India’s Ambassador to the US Harsh Shringla led the formal acceptance of India’s first Boeing CH-47FI Chinook heavy lift helicopters for the Indian Air Force in ceremonies held in Boeing’s production plant in Philadelphia last 1 February 2019.

The deal to acquire 15 Chinooks amounts to US$1.1 billion in a government-to-government Foreign Military Sales (FMS) deal with the US government. India is also looking at acquiring up to 7 more helicopters as options. Deliveries are expected to continue until 2023.
In the same deal, India also placed an order for 22 of Boeing’s AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters.

It is expected that the helicopter will be shipped to India by March 2019, and will be assigned in the northern air force base in Chandigarth. The Chinooks are expected to replace the Russian-made Mil Mi-26 Halo of the Indian Air Force that were acquired during the mid 1980s.



[1] IHS Jane’s
[2] Zee News