British Air Force CH-47 Chinook Helicopters Achieve Embarkation Qualifications Aboard HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier.

From February 24 to March 5, 2025, CH-47 Chinook helicopters from No. 27 Squadron, Royal Air Force Odiham, successfully embarked aboard HMS Prince of Wales during Exercise Hathi Pol—a major interoperability training exercise between the British Royal Navy and the British Royal Air Force (RAF). The event served as a critical milestone in validating Embarkation Qualifications (EQs) and underscored the RAF Chinook Force’s readiness to operate in a multi-domain environment.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

A British CH-47 Chinook helicopter from No. 27 Squadron, Royal Air Force Odiham, operates from HMS Prince of Wales during Exercise Hathi Pol, held from February 24 to March 5, 2025. This joint Royal Navy and RAF interoperability exercise aims to certify Embarkation Qualifications and demonstrate the Chinook Force’s capability to conduct operations in a multi-domain environment. (Picture source: British MoD)

HMS Prince of Wales (R09) is one of the British Royal Navy’s two Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers and stands as one of the most advanced maritime aviation platforms in Europe. With a displacement of over 65,000 tonnes, it offers a vast flight deck, integrated command systems, and the capacity to support both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. Its role in Exercise Hathi Pol was central to enabling real-time joint-force integration and testing the deployment of land-based air assets in a naval environment, providing a platform to extend operational reach and flexibility for UK Armed Forces.

Exercise Hathi Pol focused on achieving Embarkation Qualifications—a comprehensive certification process that ensures aircrews, aircraft, and support personnel are trained and authorized to operate safely and effectively aboard naval vessels. This includes conducting deck landings and takeoffs under varying sea and weather conditions, managing aircraft handling and maintenance aboard ship, and coordinating ship-to-shore logistics. These qualifications are essential for strategic mobility and rapid deployment of air assets directly from sea-based platforms into theatres of operation.

For the British RAF (Royal Air Force) CH-47 Chinook Force, the exercise also highlighted the growing requirement to operate seamlessly in a multi-domain environment. As the nature of modern conflict evolves, operations increasingly require synchronized actions across land, sea, air, cyber, and space domains. The Chinook’s deployment aboard an aircraft carrier demonstrates how traditionally land-based aviation assets can now contribute meaningfully to joint maritime operations, expanding the British Armed Forces’ operational versatility and responsiveness.

The CH-47 Chinook is a highly capable, battle-proven support helicopter that brings significant combat capabilities to carrier-based operations. It can operate in a wide range of environments, from Arctic tundra to deserts and tropical jungles. Its design includes a triple-hook external load system, internal cargo winch, roller conveyor system, and large power reserves, allowing it to lift up to 10 tonnes of mixed cargo or transport 55 fully equipped troops. These features make it ideal for combat support roles such as troop transport, battlefield resupply, casualty evacuation (CASEVAC), and the insertion or extraction of forces in contested zones.

When deployed from an aircraft carrier, the Chinook adds a crucial vertical lift capability to naval task groups, enabling amphibious operations, ship-to-shore logistics, rapid maneuvering of ground forces, and direct support to forward operating bases. Its ability to be armed for self-protection and equipped with a suite of defensive aids also allows it to operate in high-threat environments, enhancing the carrier group’s ability to conduct sustained operations in hostile or denied areas.

In addition to its primary roles, the Chinook can perform secondary missions such as search and rescue (SAR) and support for Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA). Its flexible crew configuration—typically comprising two pilots and two crewmen, with mission-specific personnel as needed—enables it to adapt to a wide range of tasks during deployed operations.

Exercise Hathi Pol is part of the RAF CH-47 Chinook Force’s transformation toward the Future Force 2030 concept, which emphasizes joint force integration, adaptability, and rapid global response. By achieving Embarkation Qualifications and operating from HMS Prince of Wales, the CH-47 Chinook Force strengthens the UK’s joint operational capability and its ability to project power globally in complex, contested environments.

The successful integration of CH-47 Chinook transport helicopters into maritime operations reinforces the UK’s commitment to joint warfare and highlights the enduring importance of strategic air mobility in modern defense planning. As threats become more diverse and dispersed, such exercises demonstrate how platforms like the Chinook can bridge operational gaps between domains, ensuring that British forces remain agile, responsive, and combat-ready across the full spectrum of military operations.