Replacing CH-47D/SD in Service Since 1994
Deliveries of Boeing CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopters to the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) continue, with the service announcing on 20 January it has also received the type in Singapore following initial deliveries in May last year to its Helicopter Detachment in Oakey, Australia. The CH-47Fs are being acquired to progressively replace RSAF CH-47Ds, in service since 1994.
No further details were provided regarding the latest deliveries, but it is likely that the new platforms were handed over to 127 Squadron in Sembawang, which has been operating the CH-47D/SD variants. The service said the first CH-47Fs were delivered to the Oakey detachment to “enable the RSAF to leverage the vast airspace and terrain for more realistic training”.
According to the MoD, these new helicopters are meant to provide the armed forces with a “robust lift capability” for a wide range of operations, including SAR, aeromedical evacuation, troop lift, fire-fighting, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.
The CH-47F has a fully integrated, digital cockpit management system, providing pilots with more information on their surroundings and advanced autopilot capabilities. It also features more advanced cargo-handling capabilities, advanced avionics and other features such as satellite communication systems and self-protection suite to enable greater connectivity and better aircraft survivability.
Singapore ordered an undisclosed number of CH-47Fs and H225M medium-lift rotorcraft in 2016 as part of an RSAF modernisation programme. Delivery of the first H225M was announced by Airbus Helicopters on 29 March 2021.
Gabriel Dominguez for MON