The German defense ministry is said to have chosen Boeing and its CH-47F Chinook for its Schwerer Transporthubschrauber (STH) heavy-lift helicopter procurement program.
Germany will be buying 60 helicopters for around 5 billion euros ($5.4B), Bild am Sonntag reported citing sources.
Financing would come from the 100 billion euro boost for German armed forces announced by chancellor Olaf Scholz following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It is worth noting that Germany cancelled the procurement process in 2020 due to cost issues.
Boeing’s Chinook was selected over the CH-53K that was proposed by Sikorsky.
According to Bild, the new helicopters that will replace the ageing Sikorsky-built CH-53G helicopters currently in service would arrive by 2025 or 2026.
The report further said the Chinook was chosen due to its lower price and future commonality with other NATO allies operating the Chinook. A formal announcement on the decision is expected to be made by German defense minister Christine Lambrecht next week.
Boeing worked with Airbus on securing the contract, and will involve a number of German companies in the production of the helicopters. According to an earlier announcement from the company, the Chinook partnership team consists of AERO-Bildung GmbH, CAE Elektronik GmbH, ESG Elektroniksystem- und Logistik-GmbH, Lufthansa Technik, Honeywell Aerospace and Rolls-Royce Deutschland.
