Boeing and RNLAF sign contract for Apache and Chinook support.

Boeing and the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) signed a Combined Helicopter Support services agreement at the Royal International Air Tattoo on Saturday, July 14 that will provide maintenance, services and spare parts to the RNLAF’s fleet of AH-64 Apache and CH-47 Chinook helicopters.

RNLAF AH-64D Apache combat helicopters
(Credit: RNLAF/Facebook)

The performance based logistics contract, called COHESU, is designed to drive flexibility, affordability and availability to the RNLAF of its fleet of Chinooks and Apaches, and to develop innovative solutions and enhance Dutch industry.

Boeing’s International Global Services vice president Turbo Sjogren and the RNLAF’s Commander, Lt. Gen. Dennis Luyt, signed the agreement in front of a static display of two RNLAF Chinook and Apache helicopters at RIAT.

 “Boeing and the RNLAF have an excellent partnership and are continuously looking for innovative solutions to meet the requirements of its vertical lift fleet,” Sjogren said. “This is a unique agreement that covers two of our customers’ platforms and provides our Dutch customer with the services solutions it needs to keep its fleet of Chinooks and Apaches flying for years to come.”

“The strategic cooperation between the Royal Netherlands Air Force and Boeing is very important and with the Combined Helicopter Support (COHESU) from Boeing we enter into a next phase. In this phase we need to stretch ourselves as a joint team to be innovative to meet the demanding requirements of adequate and affordable support for the transition into a fifth generation Royal Netherlands Air Force with current, upgraded and new Boeing helicopters being part of it,” said Lt. Gen. Luyt.   

The services agreement is a natural continuation of an Integrated Fleet Support Initiative first started in 2014 between Boeing and the Netherlands. The agreement was designed to drive flexibility, affordability and availability of the RNLAF’s Chinook and Apache fleet.

The RNLAF currently has 28 AH-64D’s, 11 CH-47D’s and 6 CH-47F’s in their fleet.

The COHESU Program will provide PBL support for selected Apache and Chinook components, enhanced maintenance repair and overhaul, transactional repair and overhaul, upfront buy-in of lay-in material, data support, and Apache obsolescence support. The COHESU will also support a Chinook modification program that will phase out CH-47D helicopters and introduce new CH-47F models.