By Dominic Perry2021-05-13T17:10:00+01:00
The UK is to become the first international customer for the upgraded Block II version of the Boeing Chinook helicopter, with the Royal Air Force (RAF) to take 14 examples in the MH-47G special forces guise.
Deliveries of the tandem-rotor helicopters under the £1.4 billion ($2 billion) deal are to begin in 2026, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) says.
Source: Crown Copyright
Chinooks have been in RAF service for 40 years
However, the acquisition will also see the RAF cut its Chinook fleet from 60 at present down to 51.
In its recent Command Paper
Defence in a competitive age, the MoD said that the RAF was “retiring its oldest CH-47 Chinook helicopters”, with the nine oldest examples to depart.
Launcher set up at UK MoD Hebrides for GQM-163A firings
11 May 2021
by Richard Scott
A US launcher asset dating from the late 1960s has been installed on the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) Hebrides range off northwest Scotland ahead of the 10-nation ‘At Sea Demonstration/Formidable Shield 2021’ (‘ASD/FS21’) integrated air and missile defence exercise.
The modified AML 4K3 twin-arm launcher will be used to launch Northrop Grumman GQM-163A Coyote supersonic sea-skimming missile targets during ‘Formidable Shield’. The launcher installation has been managed by the US Naval Surface Warfare Center Port Hueneme Detachment (NSWC PHD).
A modified AML 43K launcher has been installed at the MoD Hebrides Range for the upcoming ‘ASD/FS21’ exercise. The launcher will be used to launch the Northrop Grumman GQM-163A Coyote supersonic sea-skimming missile target. (US Navy)
A UK industry team selected early this year to develop and flight-test a lightweight affordable novel combat aircraft (LANCA) demonstrator for the UK Ministry of Defence has provided further details about its composition.
Spirit AeroSystems has named its team to take forward the United Kingdom's Mosquito ‘loyal wingman' attritable unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) concept. An artist's impression of the Mosquito loyal wingman in operational service. The Wichita-ba.