South Korea is moving forward with plans to replace its fleet of aging Boeing CH-47D Chinook aircraft serving in the Republic of Korea (RoK) armed forces with a newer version of the helicopter.
In a statement to the Jane’s website, South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said “the CH-47F is being considered for purchase.” The purchase will be made for Seoul’s Heavy Utility Helicopter-II project.
Janes learned that the Defense Projects Promotion Commission (DPPC) allocated $1.06 billion to the project on July 15, to purchase about twenty CH-47s for the South Korean military. DAPA did not clarify whether these are Block I or Block II helicopters. According to Janes data, the South Korean army operates 37 such helicopters. The first group of aircraft was purchased in 1988.
According to the publication, the new helicopters will be purchased between 2022 and 2028.