Egypt buys 12 CH-47 Chinook helicopters from Boeing

Africa, Middle East, News January 6, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

Egypt has finalized a $426 million deal with the U.S. to purchase 12 units of CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters for the Egyptian Air Force. The first batch will be delivered in 2026.

The deal comes seven months after Egypt got approval from the U.S. state department for the procurement of American-made weapons worth $2.6 billion under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) reported that the U.S. State Department had authorized the possible sale of 23 Boeing CH-47F Chinook helicopters to Egypt. Egypt is acquiring 12 units in the first deal. The country has the option to buy 11 more helicopters in the future.

According to the H-47 Program Manager of Boeing Ken Eland, “the F-model aircraft will enhance Egypt’s Chinook capabilities and help effectively accomplish its heavy-lift objectives. Boeing’s partnership with the Egyptian Air Force remains strong as we continue to work together to modernize their fleet.”

Vice President of Boeing International Business Development Vince Logsdon also released a statement saying that “Boeing is committed to supporting the defense modernization mission of the Egyptian armed forces and ensuring the best capability for Egypt’s national defense and security.”

Egypt air force currently operates a fleet of 19 CH-47D helicopters which it plans to replace with a newer F version. In a notification to Congress, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said the sale would help improve Egypt’s security as a major non-NATO ally of the United States.

*^{The battlefield proven GRF-platform is highly modular configurable and air-transportable inside the Boeing CH-47 Chinook. (Image Credit: Defenture)}*

The CH-47F is an advanced multi-mission helicopter that was initially developed for the U.S. Army. It was later adopted by many international defense forces. The U.S. army as well as 19 different allied forces are collectively operating more than 950 Chinook helicopters.

The heavy-lift helicopter contains a fully integrated, digital cockpit management system, Common Avionics Architecture System cockpit, and advanced cargo-handling capabilities complementing the aircraft’s mission performance and handling characteristics.

Egypt is among the top ten importers of weapons and arms worldwide. The country spent around $22 billion on arms and weapons between 2010 and 2020. Since Abdel Fattah el-Sisi took charge as the country’s president in 2013, defense spending has increased significantly, especially towards buying western weapons and defense technologies.

*^{A Chinook helicopter from RAF Odiham landed troops from 40 Commando Royal Marines on a mountain peak in the Mojave desert during Exercise Black Alligator. (Image Credit: SAC Nicholas Egan/RAF)}*

In December 2020, French President Emmanuel Macron declared he would not make arms sales to Egypt ’conditional’ on accounts of human rights violations, as many other western states demanded because he did not want to ‘weaken Cairo’s ability to combat militancy in the region.’

Between 2013 and 2020, western countries exported or licensed at least $12.4 billion worth of arms to Egypt, according to the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT). In 2021 alone, total German arms sales to Egypt amounted to $4.8 billion.