Turkey has reportedly received its first Boeing CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift rotorcraft, following its completion in-country at the port of Izmir.
Ankara has 11 of the type on order from the US government for its army, Flight Fleets Analyzer shows, plus options for three more.
Pictures emerged earlier this year of the aircraft performing its first flight ahead of a planned April delivery. However, this was delayed until 14 July, according to the Turkish Doğan news agency, which notes that the aircraft are being manufactured in the US and reassembled at Izmir.
While the timeline surrounding the orders remains vague, it is believed that budget restrictions led to a split delivery, with the first six aircraft requested in 2010 for delivery in the period to the end of 2016.
The purchase of this tranche comes under the US government’s 2013, $3.4 billion multi-year contract for the CH-47F. A $131 million contract modification was then made in September 2015, taking the total acquisition to 11 aircraft.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
