The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) began using its first two new CH-47F Chinook transport helicopters for training at Fort Hood, Texas, the Dutch Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on its website on 29 July.
The RNLAF has begun flying its two new CH-47F transport helicopters at Fort Hood, Texas. (Dutch MoD)
The ministry said the Dutch Defence Helicopter Command was expecting the first CH-47Fs in the Netherlands at the beginning of 2021.
The RNLAF will eventually have 20 CH-47Fs: 15 to be operated by 298 Squadron in Gilze-Rijen and five by 302 Squadron at Fort Hood.
The service received 13 CH-47Ds starting in 1995, losing two during NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan in 2005. The RNLAF’s Chinook fleet was expanded with six CH-47Fs in 2008–12.
The Dutch MoD ordered an additional 14 CH-47F MYII Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS) helicopters with modifications required by the Netherlands in 2015 and also decided to upgrade the six existing CH-47Fs to the same standard.
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