UK Chinook helicopter Extended Range certification progresses enabling longer missions for the Army
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The UK Ministry of Defence told Parliament the Chinook H-47 Extended Range program is proceeding to plan, with the first two airframes in build at Boeing Philadelphia and initial deliveries from 2027. Ministers say 14 new H-47 ERs will replace the 14 oldest Chinooks on a phased schedule, limiting any dip in heavy-lift availability.
London has reaffirmed that the RAF’s H-47 Extended Range Chinook buy remains on track, citing written answers that confirm manufacturing has begun in the United States and that the transition will be sequenced to preserve operational output. The government’s position follows portfolio reporting by the newly created National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, which is monitoring delivery confidence across major military programs.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The Chinook H-47 Extended Range retains the well-known tandem-rotor architecture of the Chinook, but adds a modern full-glass cockpit, a more refined digital autopilot, and updated flight management that reduces crew workload, especially in instrument flight and during approaches in confined areas. (Picture source: UK MoD)
Two milestones on the schedule are worth recalling. First, the written answer of 13 May 2025 confirms that construction of the first two H-47 ER airframes began in Philadelphia, with an initial delivery expected in 2027. Second, another answer states that the transition will be smoothed: the fourteen H-47 ER will progressively replace the fourteen oldest Chinooks from January 2027 to preserve operational availability. This aligns with the ministry’s stated approach and reduces the risk of a capability gap mid-decade.
The Chinook H-47 Extended Range retains the well-known tandem-rotor architecture of the Chinook, but adds a modern full-glass cockpit, a more refined digital autopilot, and updated flight management that reduces crew workload, especially in instrument flight and during approaches in confined areas. The extended range comes from high-capacity lateral tanks integrated into the sponsons and from weight and fuel-consumption optimizations derived from the Block II standard. Propulsion relies on the T55 engine family, providing the power margin needed to carry heavy loads in hot and high conditions. Finally, the integration of modern electronic warfare means and a flight-control system sourced within the British ecosystem strengthens interoperability and maintainability.
The certification risk highlighted by NISTA in summer 2025 remains under observation. The regulator emphasized the importance of a smooth flow of information between US and UK authorities to keep pace. The ministry reports progress since the report’s publication, with preparatory flight trials planned in 2027 and final certification by the UK Military Aviation Authority as the target. The trade-off is familiar: protect controlled technologies while keeping the qualification sequence on track.
With a greater usable range, the H-47 ER is intended to link more distant forward bases without stops, resupply dispersed strongpoints, insert a fully equipped section in a single rotation, or extract teams from austere areas. Underslung lift remains central, whether for artillery pieces, engineer loads, or NATO pallets. Power margin in hot and high environments, hover performance, and a clearer cockpit contribute to safer night approaches and routes in complex terrain. For a headquarters, the expected outcome is fewer sorties for the same logistical effect and a steadier tempo with a smaller footprint.
On preparation, London has already framed the human ramp-up. Parliamentary answers note the start of instructor training for UK personnel in the United States in August 2025, in parallel with progress on simulation tools. This upstream step is standard and ensures that converted crews will be available as soon as the first airframes arrive.
Public documents and industry notices converge on the integration of Northrop Grumman’s Common Infrared Countermeasures system on the new sub-fleet to counter current infrared threats. In addition, joint training held in 2024 with US MH-47G aircraft around helicopter aerial refuelling helped rehearse procedures, even though the United Kingdom does not currently have an organic helicopter air-to-air refuelling capability.
The UK decision reinforces NATO’s heavy vertical-lift capacity at a time when air logistics is again central from the Baltic to the Middle East. The transatlantic anchoring is assumed, with clear advantages in interoperability and supply chains, but also constraints related to technology controls and the pace of information release that influence certification. If the official schedule holds, entry into service of the fourteen H-47 ER from 2027 will provide the RAF with a robust projection tool for special operations, intra-theatre air bridges, and sea-based deployments, while confirming the position of the transatlantic industrial line in this segment.
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The UK Ministry of Defence told Parliament the Chinook H-47 Extended Range program is proceeding to plan, with the first two airframes in build at Boeing Philadelphia and initial deliveries from 2027. Ministers say 14 new H-47 ERs will replace the 14 oldest Chinooks on a phased schedule, limiting any dip in heavy-lift availability.
London has reaffirmed that the RAF’s H-47 Extended Range Chinook buy remains on track, citing written answers that confirm manufacturing has begun in the United States and that the transition will be sequenced to preserve operational output. The government’s position follows portfolio reporting by the newly created National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, which is monitoring delivery confidence across major military programs.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The Chinook H-47 Extended Range retains the well-known tandem-rotor architecture of the Chinook, but adds a modern full-glass cockpit, a more refined digital autopilot, and updated flight management that reduces crew workload, especially in instrument flight and during approaches in confined areas. (Picture source: UK MoD)
Two milestones on the schedule are worth recalling. First, the written answer of 13 May 2025 confirms that construction of the first two H-47 ER airframes began in Philadelphia, with an initial delivery expected in 2027. Second, another answer states that the transition will be smoothed: the fourteen H-47 ER will progressively replace the fourteen oldest Chinooks from January 2027 to preserve operational availability. This aligns with the ministry’s stated approach and reduces the risk of a capability gap mid-decade.
The Chinook H-47 Extended Range retains the well-known tandem-rotor architecture of the Chinook, but adds a modern full-glass cockpit, a more refined digital autopilot, and updated flight management that reduces crew workload, especially in instrument flight and during approaches in confined areas. The extended range comes from high-capacity lateral tanks integrated into the sponsons and from weight and fuel-consumption optimizations derived from the Block II standard. Propulsion relies on the T55 engine family, providing the power margin needed to carry heavy loads in hot and high conditions. Finally, the integration of modern electronic warfare means and a flight-control system sourced within the British ecosystem strengthens interoperability and maintainability.
The certification risk highlighted by NISTA in summer 2025 remains under observation. The regulator emphasized the importance of a smooth flow of information between US and UK authorities to keep pace. The ministry reports progress since the report’s publication, with preparatory flight trials planned in 2027 and final certification by the UK Military Aviation Authority as the target. The trade-off is familiar: protect controlled technologies while keeping the qualification sequence on track.
With a greater usable range, the H-47 ER is intended to link more distant forward bases without stops, resupply dispersed strongpoints, insert a fully equipped section in a single rotation, or extract teams from austere areas. Underslung lift remains central, whether for artillery pieces, engineer loads, or NATO pallets. Power margin in hot and high environments, hover performance, and a clearer cockpit contribute to safer night approaches and routes in complex terrain. For a headquarters, the expected outcome is fewer sorties for the same logistical effect and a steadier tempo with a smaller footprint.
On preparation, London has already framed the human ramp-up. Parliamentary answers note the start of instructor training for UK personnel in the United States in August 2025, in parallel with progress on simulation tools. This upstream step is standard and ensures that converted crews will be available as soon as the first airframes arrive.
Public documents and industry notices converge on the integration of Northrop Grumman’s Common Infrared Countermeasures system on the new sub-fleet to counter current infrared threats. In addition, joint training held in 2024 with US MH-47G aircraft around helicopter aerial refuelling helped rehearse procedures, even though the United Kingdom does not currently have an organic helicopter air-to-air refuelling capability.
The UK decision reinforces NATO’s heavy vertical-lift capacity at a time when air logistics is again central from the Baltic to the Middle East. The transatlantic anchoring is assumed, with clear advantages in interoperability and supply chains, but also constraints related to technology controls and the pace of information release that influence certification. If the official schedule holds, entry into service of the fourteen H-47 ER from 2027 will provide the RAF with a robust projection tool for special operations, intra-theatre air bridges, and sea-based deployments, while confirming the position of the transatlantic industrial line in this segment.
