The U.S. State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for CH-47F Block II Chinook helicopters and related equipment, with an estimated total cost of $1.32 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has submitted the required notification to Congress.
The UAE requested six CH-47F helicopters with air-to-air refueling probes and extended range fuel tanks. The sale also includes sixteen T-55-GA-714A engines, fourteen Embedded GPS/INS (EGI) systems with M-Code, eight AN/AAR-57 missile warning systems, twenty AN/ARC-231A radios, twenty M-240 machine guns, and numerous non-MDE items such as radar warning receivers, laser detecting sets, and communications equipment.
Additional components include aircraft survivability equipment, in-flight refueling capability, fast rope systems, and firefighting tools. The package also covers spare parts, training, technical documentation, and logistical support. Boeing and Honeywell are listed as the principal contractors.
According to the DSCA, “This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of an important regional partner.” It stated that the UAE would use the helicopters for “search and rescue, disaster relief, humanitarian support, and counterterrorism operations.”
The sale is not expected to affect the military balance in the region. Implementation will require two U.S. Government and eight contractor representatives to deploy to the UAE for up to 60 months.