Home Air Boeing teams with Honeywell, Rolls-Royce for German heavy-lift helicopter bid

Boeing teams with Honeywell, Rolls-Royce for German heavy-lift helicopter bid

Chinook helicopter offer for Germany
Chinook in German Air Force livery. Photo: Boeing

Aerospace and defense giant Boeing announced it has reached an agreement with Honeywell Aerospace and Rolls-Royce Deutschland to provide in-service support of the T-55 engine, should the government of Germany select the H-47 Chinook as its heavy-lift helicopter requirement.

Boeing is one of the two competitors in Germany’s tender for the Schwerer Transporthubschrauber (STH) program. The other company is Lockheed Martin with the CH-53K “King Stallion” offer. Both companies submitted their offers in January this year.

Since the forming of the Chinook Germany Industry Team in 2018, originally comprised of nine German companies, Boeing continues to build an industry team to provide the Luftwaffe with local long-term services support, maintenance and training of the Chinook over the next several decades.

“The partnership between Honeywell, Rolls-Royce Deutschland and our industry team members provides an established local supply base for around-the-clock parts availability, NATO interoperability and streamlined aircraft maintenance procedures,” said Michael Hostetter, vice president of Boeing Defense, Space & Security in Germany. “The Luftwaffe will have access to training and sustainment solutions that ensures the H-47 Chinook’s readiness for any mission.”

Under the agreement, Honeywell will license Rolls-Royce Deutschland as its partner in Germany to perform depot-level maintenance of the Chinook T-55 engine operated by the Luftwaffe.

“Our extended partnership with Rolls-Royce and Honeywell will deliver a strong services, maintenance and training offering for the H-47 in Germany while further integrating our operations into Germany’s aerospace fabric,” said Dr. Michael Haidinger, president of Boeing Germany and Central & Eastern Europe. “This is just one example of how we continue building strong partnerships with local industrial primes for the Bundeswehr’s STH requirements.”on the Germany is expected to select a winner of the Schwerer Transporthubschrauber (STH) program in 2021. The Federal Office of Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support of the Bundeswehr (BAAINBw) is expected to issue a contract for the construction of between 44 and 65 aircraft.

Germany is expected to select a successor to the CH-53 helicopter currently in service with the German Armed Forces in 2021. Deliveries of new helicopters are expected to start by 2024 while the final aircraft is to be delivered by 2032. The country has earmarked 5.6 billion euros for the project.