Royal Canadian Air Force CH-147 Chinook helicopter fleet complete

News Article / July 3, 2014

From RCAF Public Affairs

Canada’s 15^th and final CH-147F Chinook helicopter came home to the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 450 Tactical Helicopter Squadron today.

The Minister of National Defence, Rob Nicholson, and the deputy commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, Major-General Richard Foster, along with the squadron’s commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Chris McKenna, welcomed the Chinook during a ceremony at the squadron’s new hangar complex at Canadian Forces Base Petawawa, Ontario.

“The Canadian Chinook F-model – designed especially for Canada’s demanding operational and environmental requirements – will provide increased mobility and flexibility to the Royal Canadian Air Force as they protect Canadians, and Canadian interests, at home and abroad,” said Minister Nicholson.

Canada officially accepted the last Chinook from Boeing at the company’s manufacturing facility in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, on June 30, 2014.

“This was a complex aircraft program, yet the partnership and collaboration between Boeing, the Canadian customer and our industry partners enabled us to deliver all 15 aircraft on or ahead of schedule,” said Steve Parker, Boeing vice president cargo helicopters and H-47 program manager.

“The medium- to heavy-lift helicopter project is making an exemplary contribution to the Canada First Defence Strategy,” said Colonel Andrew Fleming, program manager for the project. “The combined efforts of the Government of Canada, Boeing and all partners involved in delivering this new capability, on time and and on budget, serve as a model for future Canadian Defence acquisitions.”

The CH-147F Chinook is an advanced, multi-mission, medium- to heavy-lift helicopter. It is primarily used to transport equipment and personnel during operations at home and abroad, but it also can respond to humanitarian emergencies such as fire, floods, and earthquakes.

The entire fleet of 15 Canadian CH-147F Chinooks were delivered over the course of a single year.