UK awards Boeing $1.19 billion helicopter support contract

The UK government has awarded Boeing Defence UK a three-year contract worth £879 million, or about $1.19 billion, to maintain and support the British Army’s Apache attack helicopters and Royal Air Force Chinook heavy-lift helicopters.

The government announced the deal on April 15, 2026, saying it will bring support for both fleets under a single agreement for the first time and marks the first contract awarded under the UK’s Rotary Wing Enterprise framework.

The contract is intended to keep both helicopter fleets mission-ready while supporting about 1,200 jobs in the UK, including more than 700 within Boeing Defence UK and about 500 across the domestic supply chain.

British officials said the work will include engineering, depth maintenance, training for aircrew and maintainers, supply-chain support and technical services for the two fleets.

The award adds to a busy stretch for the UK’s rotary-wing fleet planning. In March 2026, the British government awarded Leonardo a separate £1 billion contract to produce 23 new medium-lift military helicopters to replace the RAF’s Puma fleet. That deal was aimed at preserving domestic helicopter manufacturing at Yeovil, while the Boeing award focuses on in-service support for existing frontline aircraft.

Boeing’s Apache remains one of the world’s most widely used attack helicopters. The company said in November 2025 that the type had logged more than 5.3 million flight hours and was operating with 19 countries. The Chinook remains one of the RAF’s main heavy-lift platforms for troop transport, resupply and other support missions.The post UK awards Boeing $1.19 billion helicopter support contract appeared first on AeroTime.

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