Possible U.S. foreign military sale of CH-47F cargo helicopter to UAE United Arab Emirates.

The U.S. State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the United Arab Emirates of ten (10) CH-47F Chinook cargo helicopters and related equipment for an estimated cost of $830.3 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on November 7, 2019.

Two CH-47 Chinooks from 1-214th Aviation Regiment land at battalion headquarters on the evening of Nov. 6 at Hohenfels Training Area during Dragoon Ready 20. (U.S. Army photo by Maj. Robert Fellingham)

The Government of the United Arab Emirates has requested to buy ten (10) CH-47F Chinook cargo helicopters; twenty-six (26) T55-GA-714A Engines; twenty-four (24) Embedded Global Positioning Systems with Inertial Navigation System (GPS/INS); twelve (12) AN/AAR-57 Common Missile Warning Systems (CMWS); twenty (20) M134D-H Mini Guns; and twenty (20) M240H Machine Guns. Also included are aircraft survivability equipment to include: APR-39A(V)l, AN/ARC-231, Harris RF-7850A-MR, Thales 5400NS, Tetra THR9i, AN/APX-123A, WESCAM MX-l5HDi, ARN-147 VOR/ILS, ARN-153 TACAN, APN-209 Receiver Transmitters, APN-209 Indicator, AN/ARC-220; Infrared Suppression System (IRSS); Fast Rope Insertion/Extraction System (FRIES); Extended Range Fuel System (ERFS); Fire Fighting Equipment; Ballistic Armor Protection System; air worthiness support; spare and repair parts; communications equipment; personnel training and training equipment; site surveys; tool and test equipment; ground support equipment; repair and return; publications and technical documentation; Quality Assurance Team (QAT); U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics and program support. The estimated cost is $830.3 million.

The proposed sale will expand the UAE's helicopter fleet. Further, it will enhance the UAE's operational and defensive capabilities to better defend U.S. and UAE national security interests in the region, and increase the UAE's contributions to any future joint or coalition efforts requiring helicopter support. The UAE will have no difficulty absorbing these defense articles and services into its armed forces.

The principal contractors will be Boeing Helicopters Aircraft Company in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania; Honeywell Engine Company in Phoenix, Arizona; Science and Engineering Services in Huntsville, Alabama. There are no known offset agreements in connection with this potential sale.

Implementation of this proposed sale will require an estimated ten (10) U.S. Government and contractor representatives to travel to UAE for up to 60 months for equipment de-processing, fielding, system checkout, training and technical logistics support.

The CH-47F Chinook is the Army’s only heavy-lift cargo helicopter supporting combat and other critical operations. The CH-47F has a suite of improved features such as an upgraded digital cockpit featuring the Common Avionics Architecture System, a new monolithic airframe with vibration reduction, and the Digital Automatic Flight Control System, which provides coupled controllability for operations in adverse environments (i.e. reduced visibility, brownout and high winds). The CH-47F’s common cockpit enables multiservice digital compatibility and interoperability for improved situational awareness, mission performance and survivability, as well as future growth potential.

The CH-47F Block II provides an increased payload and operational reach beyond the existing CH-47F capability. The Block II will also enable the Army to better support the rapid response capability necessary for forcible and early entry contingency missions as well as tactical and operational nonlinear, noncontiguous, simulations or sequential operations.