Signed on 27 October and publicly disclosed on 12 November, the five-year Foreign Military Sales (FMS) agreement is valued at USD 876.4 million and runs through October 2028.
Germany selected the Chinook Standard Range variant with air-to-air refuelling capability in June 2022 for its Schwerer Transporthubschrauber (STH, Heavy Lift Helicopter) program, choosing it over the competing Lockheed Martin Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion.
The new Chinooks will replace the Luftwaffe’s ageing fleet of roughly 60 CH-53G-series Stallions, which are scheduled to retire by 2030 and were previously upgraded by Airbus Germany.
Deliveries of the CH-47F are planned from 2027 to 2032 as part of a wider procurement effort valued at approximately EUR 7 billion. The program is funded through Germany’s EUR 100 billion Bundeswehr special fund, established to accelerate military modernization in the aftermath of the war in Ukraine.
What impact would these helicopters have in the European theatre?
The introduction of 60 CH-47F Block II Chinooks would significantly strengthen Germany’s heavy-lift capacity within NATO. The Luftwaffe’s existing CH-53G fleet is aging, maintenance-intensive, and limited in payload, range, and digital avionics. In contrast, the CH-47F Block II offers greater lift performance, modern mission systems, improved reliability, and—most importantly—air-to-air refuelling capability, which dramatically extends operational reach. This gives Germany the ability to move troops, artillery, supplies, or disaster-relief equipment rapidly across long distances, including to the eastern flank, Scandinavia, or the High North without needing forward basing.
Operationally, the Chinooks would also enhance interoperability with key NATO partners such as the US, UK, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Turkey, all of which operate CH-47 variants. Shared logistics, spare parts, training pipelines, and common operating procedures reduce costs and accelerate coalition mission planning. In a European theatre increasingly focused on high-intensity logistics and mobility, the Chinook fleet improves Germany’s ability to contribute to NATO reinforcement plans, support multinational battlegroups, and respond quickly to crises—from military deployments to humanitarian operations. Overall, the new helicopters shift Germany from a limited national capability to a core heavy-lift provider within NATO.
Defense contract
War Department, November 12 - The Boeing Company, Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, was awarded a hybrid cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price contract for up to 60 CH-47F Block II Cargo Helicopters, including performance-based logistics, training and non-recurring engineering. The amount of this action is $876,422,130. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 28, 2035. Fiscal 2026 Germany case funds in the amount of $876,422,130 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-26-C-0003). (Awarded Oct. 27, 2025)
See also |
German CH-47 Chinook in
Luftwaffe 
