The UK’s Royal Air Force has ordered 14 Boeing H-47 (ER) Chinooks valued at £1.4bn (A$2.55bn).

The order will see some of the RAF’s fleet of older HC6A models (upgraded CH-47Ds) retired and replaced by the new machines which will be based on Boeing’s CH-47 Block 2 development. The RAF operates a mixed fleet of about 60 Chinook models including HC5 (MH-47), HC6 (CH-47F), and HC6A machines.

“From assisting emergency repairs to UK flood defences, providing vital logistics support during Covid-19 to its warfighting role on Afghan battlefields, the Chinook has been the workhorse of the Armed Forces for over 40 years,” UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said in a release.

Commander Joint Helicopter Command, Air-Vice Marshal Nigel Colman added, “Proven on both UK and overseas operations time and again over the last 40 years, the Chinook continues to be a critical capability for UK Defence; this announcement assures Chinook operations for the decades ahead and is representative of our commitment to modernise capabilities whilst maintaining interoperability with key allies.”

The new H-47 (ER) model will feature a new digital cockpit with a digital automatic flight control system, a modernised airframe, a nose-mounted radar, and new rotor blades. The Block 2 is currently under development for the US Army to upgrade that service’s fleet of MH-47G special operations helicopters, while the US Army is also considering the upgrade for its larger CH-47F fleet.

The RAF’s new models are expected to enter service from 2026, and will be based alongside the rest of the UK’s Chinook fleet at RAF Odiham.