RNLAF's New Chinook, The Netherlands

On Wednesday, 14 April 2021, the first of the new CH-47F MYII CAAS Chinooks of the Royal Netherlands Air Force (Koninklijke Luchtmacht) was delivered to the Dutch Defense Helicopter Command (Defensie Helikopter Commando) at Gilze-Rijen AB. One week later, on Thursday afternoon, 22 April 2021, the first official mission of the new helicopter was conducted when the Chinook CH-47F with registration D-427 flew in the GLV5 low-flying area, close to Eindhoven AB (GLV5=”Gebied voor LaagVliegen” #5). BACKGROUND

In 2015, the Royal Netherlands Air Force decided to buy 14 new CH-47F helicopters, as the CH-47D models were reaching their end-of-life after 25 years in service. The six existing CH-47F helicopters will be upgraded to the same CH-47F MYII CAAS version. CH-47F is officially known as "CH-47F MYII CAAS" (MYII= Multi-Year batch, CAAS=Common Avionics Architecture System)) and this helicopter is more or

NEW CHINOOK PHOTO-REPORT BY JORIS VAN BOVEN AND ALEX VAN NOIJE

less the same as the U.S. Army models. With only some minor Dutch modifications, compatibility with future U.S. Army upgrade packages remains possible. 15 CH-47Fs will be flown operationally from GilzeRijen AB and five CH-47Fs will be used in the USA at Fort Hood Army Base for training and instruction purposes.

The Royal Netherlands Air Force's first CH-47F MYII CAAS Chinook approaches the training area on its first official mission.