The CH-47F Block II has improved effectivity, payload and gas capability, important for the Military’s heavy tactical elevate missions.
Boeing introduced on Oct. 21, 2025 two contracts from the U.S. Military, price $461 million, for 9 CH-47F Block II Chinook helicopters. Protecting Heaps 4 and 5, these contracts take the variety of the Block II plane on order to 18 airframes.
The earlier Dec. 4, 2024, contract overlaying Lot 3 was a $134 million award for 3 extra CH-47F Chinook Block IIs. The corporate can also be “working carefully with the Military on a path ahead for Lot 6.”
Since full-rate manufacturing started in February 2024, Boeing delivered the primary manufacturing CH-47F Block II plane in June 2024, adopted by the second in September. The Military has obtained up to now six CH-47F Block II helicopters, that are “at the moment present process a sequence of evaluations to display their enhanced capabilities.”
A Sep. 30, 2025, Military press launch, saying a Speedy Fielding Manufacturing resolution for CH-47F Block IIs, mentioned the Block II is a “recapitalization” effort, changing present Block I variants to the brand new customary. The Military’s present CH-47 fleet stands at 465 plane.
Supporting the Military’s pursuit to “advance its heavy-lift modernization efforts,” Boeing’s vice chairman and program supervisor for Cargo Packages Heather McBryan mentioned that the “speedy succession of contracts signifies that the Chinook will proceed to play an essential position within the U.S. Military’s family-of-systems, notably in a contested logistics surroundings.”
2️⃣ awards for Block II!
Thanks, @USArmy, for ordering 9 CH-47F Block II #Chinook helicopters.
Becoming a member of 9 plane already on contract, these Block II Chinooks will convey enhanced elevate, vary and sustainment for the missions forward.
Extra: pic.twitter.com/6Yq5yuKk2t
— Boeing Protection (@BoeingDefense) October 21, 2025
CH-47F Block II and future upgrades
The brand new purchase additionally comes amid Boeing unveiling kinetic launched results ideas for the Military’s CH-47 fleet, exhibiting expendable munitions – launched from chin-mounted tube launchers – hanging floor air protection websites, whereas working along with AH-64 Apaches and the Collaborative Transformational Rotorcraft.
These missions are more likely to achieve prominence sooner or later each within the European and Pacific theaters, because the Military reorients itself in direction of typical wars. The MV-75 tilt-rotor would even be an essential ingredient on this combine, quickly transferring Firm- or Battalion-sized mild infantry formations into defended areas.
🤝 Chinook🤝 Apache🤝 Collaborative Transformational Rotorcraft (CxR)🤝 Superior midrange interceptors
Collectively, these platforms give the @USArmy the situational consciousness, resilience and adaptability of a whole crew.
See how our household of programs hyperlinks floor, air and… pic.twitter.com/2WINXZVHPe
— Boeing Protection (@BoeingDefense) October 14, 2025
The present CH-47F Block II options important upgrades, together with an improved drivetrain and airframe, rising the utmost gross weight by 4,000 kilos, and thus considerably rising elevate functionality. “Moreover, modern adjustments to the gas system lengthen the mission radius of almost all payloads. Mixed with enhanced sustainment and the flexibility to make inexpensive future upgrades, the CH-47F Block II will meet the Military’s desired purpose of flying for a minimum of one other 40 years,” mentioned Boeing’s newest assertion concerning the Lot 4 and 5 award.
Boeing has depicted different upgrades to the Block II variant, together with elementary autonomous operations in features like engine management, a brand new cockpit structure, customizable screens and an open programs structure for fast future upgrades. “These enhancements will make sure that when time flies, the Chinook stays able to serve,” mentioned the publish accompanying the idea video.
A legacy continued … 👀
We’re making strikes to reinforce CH-47F Block II capabilities — investing in autonomy, open programs structure and a reimagined cockpit. These enhancements will make sure that when time flies, the #Chinook stays able to serve.#AUSA2025 pic.twitter.com/M30VtSTID3
— Boeing Protection (@BoeingDefense) October 15, 2025
Whether or not the Military accepts these upgrades as nicely sooner or later, and what their retrofitting schedule and downtime would appear to be, is just not recognized.
A earlier experiment-of-sorts improve concerned re-engining a single CH-47 Chinook with the highly effective Basic Electrical T408 engines that energy the U.S. Marine Corps CH-53K King Stallion, The Battle Zone reported in November 2021. The GE T408’s 7,500 shaft horsepower (SHP) ranking supplies 2,500 SHP greater than the Honeywell Lycoming T55 turboshaft engines.
CH-47 Chinook future within the Military
In Boeing’s Dec. 4, 2024, press launch concerning the Lot 3 award, McBryan mentioned the CH-47F Block II’s “elevated payload capability and expanded vary permits the U.S. Military to fulfill evolving heavy-lift mission necessities around the globe.” As talked about earlier, the improved drivetrain and airframe carry 4,000 kilos extra payload, “considerably rising elevate functionality.”
The Block IIs, in accordance older stories by Aviation Week and FlightGlobal, have an improved Honeywell T55-715 engine, with a defining function being the three gas cells mixed right into a single gas cell, eliminating intracell gas switch {hardware}, reducing the engine’s weight by 90 kg (200 kilos). This will increase gas capability, whereas an energetic parallel actuator system (APAS) enhances the digital superior flight management system, precisely splitting the torque between the 2 rotors for larger effectivity.
The Sep. 30 Military press launch additionally touched upon how the CH-47F Block IIs can use “elevated payloads, prolonged vary and improved sustainability to create the standoff areas demanded by contested logistics environments.” The Military defined that, “with an elevated most gross weight of 54,000 kilos, the plane permits operational commanders to maneuver extra materiel, Troopers, and gas, farther and quicker.”
Constructed completely different.
The CH-47F Block II #Chinook expands heavy-lift capabilities throughout the globe.
With redesigned gas tanks, a strengthened fuselage and an improved drivetrain, the improved helicopter can elevate extra, fly farther and work smarter. See the workhorse in motion. pic.twitter.com/12CgIwCtff
— Boeing Protection (@BoeingDefense) October 22, 2025
The U.S. Military additionally added that the CH-47F Block II has generated “worldwide curiosity,” with “one companion nation […] dedicated to 60 plane.” Whereas not explicitly acknowledged by the Military, the companion nation is Germany, which chosen the helicopter in 2022 to exchange its getting older CH-53s.
The Block II additionally shares “commonality” with SOCOM’s (Particular Operations Command’s) MH-47G variant, permitting “the Military and SOCOM leverage on one another’s modernization efforts.” Furthermore, “[…] the Military reduces each manufacturing prices and long-term sustainment bills, whereas simplifying logistics,” the Military launch mentioned.
The press launch quoted Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jordan Brooks, who burdened the Block II Chinook’s “elevated gross weight and elevated torque” interprets into missions that require two sorties with Block Is now needing solely a single Block II sortie.
CH-47F Block II Chinook exams with the Military
A Mar. 24, 2025 Military press launch revealed the 2 Particular Person Analysis (SUE) trials of the CH-47F Block II Chinook in April and November 2024 by the a hundred and first Fight Aviation Brigade’s Basic Help Aviation Battalion (GSAB), a part of the a hundred and first Fight Aviation Brigade. The “soldier-led evaluation of the Block II” supplied intensive suggestions to the Challenge Supervisor.
Aircrew members performed aerial gunnery tables from rear cabin home windows, Quick Rope Insertion and Extraction System (FRIES) coaching, and extra sling load iterations to familiarize themselves with the elevated lifting capability of the Block II.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 David Lantz, an teacher pilot in Bravo Firm 6-101 GSAB, Lantz famous the upgraded software program and cockpit shows within the cockpit, permitting simpler entry to the mandatory knowledge to evaluate the plane’s capabilities in varied missions. One other function Lantz mentioned had been the 4 gun mounts, saying “doubling our capturing functionality saves us time and gas in coaching and can enhance lethality total.”
