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| Australian Chinooks |
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| Above, having just completed it's first test flight, a lone Australian CH-47D Chinook helicopter stands vigil on the tarmac at Townsville, Queensland, Australia, in mid 2000. The aircraft, Boeing build number M4037, along with it's sister ship build number M4036, had just arrived in country and were undergoing modifications for the Extend Range Fuel System (ERFS) and the HF9000 radio system prior to their delivery to the Australian Army. The aircraft tail numbers were A15-201 and A15-202. |
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| Boeing News Release |
| Australia Purchases two new Boeing CH-47D Chinooks |
| CANBERRA, ACT, Australia, 19 June 1998 — Boeing has signed a contract valued at $45 million USD with the Australian Defence Forces (ADF) for the purchase of two new Boeing CH-47D Chinook heavy-lift helicopters in a brief ceremony here today. |
| Raymond A. Brosius, director, Tandem Rotor Programs at Boeing in Philadelphia, said, "We are pleased that the Australian Defence Forces recognize that the Boeing Chinook is a key combat support tool. In addition, expanding its Chinook fleet from four to six will enhance the Australian Army's ability to provide civil relief services, an area of growing emphasis for the ADF in the Southwest Pacific region. CH-47s have a long history of service down under, and the Boeing team is proud to know that Chinooks will be flying here for many more decades." |
| The Chinooks, to be delivered in Brisbane in 2000, will join four CH-47Ds in service since 1995 with the Australian Army's 5th Aviation Regiment, Townsville, Queensland. The 5th Aviation Regiment transports troops, fuel and heavy equipment in support of ground force operations and handles a variety of civil relief missions. Recently, the unit operated its Chinooks in Papua New Guinea to support ADF humanitarian relief operations. |
| The new Chinooks are in production at the Boeing rotorcraft program management center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and are virtually identical to U.S. Army CH-47D Chinooks but contain cockpit instrumentation specific to Australian Army requirements. |
| The Boeing Chinook is the world's most reliable and effective heavy-lift helicopter. Tandem rotor configuration provides exceptional lift in "high-hot" conditions, with useful loads up to 25,000 lbs. (11,350 kg), and excellent controllability in conditions that curtail conventional helicopter flight. The CH-47D features triple cargo hooks, modularized hydraulics and an improved electrical system. Large external and internal load capabilities and high airspeeds allow the Chinook to do the work of three utility helicopters and give it among the lowest cost-per-ton-nautical-mile profiles available. |
| The Boeing Company develops and produces military rotorcraft for customers worldwide. Among its products are the CH-47 Chinook, the AH-64D Apache Longbow, the RAH-66 Comanche and the V-22 Osprey. |
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| Australian Government Press Release |
| NEW CHINOOK HELICOPTERS HANDED OVER TO DEFENCE |
| The Department of Defence has accepted the two newest additions to the Australian Army's Chinook helicopter fleet from their manufacturer, The Boeing Company. |
| The new aircraft will now have minor modifications carried out to enhance safety and performance before entering service with the Townsville-based 5th Aviation Regiment's C Squadron. |
| After Airworthiness Board approval, the two aircraft will be accepted into service in a ceremony at the 5th Aviation Regiment in Townsville before the middle of the year. |
| The two new CH-47D Chinook helicopters will bring the total number in the Army to six, boosting its capacity for troop lift and logistic support. |
| The tandem rotor Chinooks have become familiar to Australians through their use in civil defence emergencies, and they were used to provide aid to Papua New Guinea during the western provinces drought in 1997. |
| "The Chinook is a superb machine for the Australian Army - it is reliable, strong and flexible," said Brigadier Robert Walford, Commander Aviation Support Group. "The additional two aircraft will significantly enhance our ability to support field operations and support Defence capability." |
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| As of November 2002, the Australian Army employed a total of six CH-47D Chinook helicopters: |
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| Papua New Guinea, 12 August 2002: Above and below are photographs of two Australian CH-47D helicopters. The pictures were taken at Isurava in the highlands north of Port Moresby. The aircraft belong to C Squadron, 5th Aviation Regiment of the Australian Army based at Townsville. The unit went there to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the battle of Isurava. There, in World War Two, Australian troops fought a fierce battle against the Japanese Army and stopped their advance southward through the area. Providing air-lift support, the Chinooks transported veterans of the battle back to the area to pay respect to mates lost in 1942 and to open a memorial to their efforts. |
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| The next three photographs show the Australian Army Chinooks out on exercise in the Northern Territories transporting M198 howitzers: |
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| In 2001, an Australian Chinook slings an old two seat Mirage fighter down to Tyndal Air Force base for restoration: |
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| A Master Ramp Surfer |
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| Australian Chinooks join in on the fight in the War on Terrorism. |
| During April 2003, Australian Chinooks participated in the War on Terrorism. The collection of photographs that follow is from their operations in the Middle East Theater. |
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| Australian CH-47D Chinook A15-103 transported by U.S. Air Force Reserve C-5 Galaxy Cargo Aircraft. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger version of this image. |
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| Australian CH-47D Chinook inside a U.S. Air Force Reserve C-5 Galaxy Cargo Aircraft. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger version of ths image. |
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| Preparing for the mission, a crewman removes the blades ropes from CH-47D A15-104. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger version of this image. |
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| Australian CH-47D Chinooks A15-103 and A15-106 ready to go. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger version of this image. |
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| A crewman checks the maintenance panel of A15-104 during ground check out. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger version of this image. |
| Operation Falconer |
| 07 May 2003: Chinook helicopters on operation in the Middle East. |
| Australian Army soldiers from the Townsville-based 5th Aviation Regiment provide the Coalition Forces in the Middle Eastern Area of Operation (MEAO) with a medium lift capability as they transport troops and equipment. The Chinook (CH47) has the capacity to lift up to 11.7 Tons, carrying internal and/or external loads, or 30 combat troops. Over time, the Chinook has consistently proven to be a reliable and capable aircraft having been used in conflicts such as the Falklands and the Gulf war and now Operation Falconer. The CH 47 aircraft has proven itself working with the Australian Army’s 3rd Brigade in providing essential support to deployed elements as is commonly referred to as the “work-horse” of the Army’s helicopter regiment. While the Chinook helicopter has been in service since the Vietnam Conflict, this variant remains one of the latest additions to the Australian Army’s aviation capability. |
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| Australian CH-47D Chinook A15-106 conducting pinnacle operations in the Middle Eastern Theater during the War on Terrorism. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger version of this image. |
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| As the Flight Engineer gives the thumps up, members of the Australian Special Forces Task Group (SFTG) prepare to conduct operations in the Middle Eastern Theater. Click-N-Go Here to view a lager version of this image. |
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| As the Ramp Gunner gives the thumps up, another CH-47D of the Australian Special Forces Task Group (SFTG) prepares to lift off. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger version of this image. |
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| With a sister ship in tow, an Australian CH-47D scours the barren landscape in search of the bad guys. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger version of this image. |
| Austrailian Chinooks: 10 Years |
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| Five Chinooks land and return to the C Squadron lines at 5th Aviation Regiment after a sortie in Townsville during the 10 year anniversary celebrations. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger version of this image. |
| 18 May 2005: Australian Army Celebrates 10 years of Chinook helicopter operations. |
| Townsville's 5th Aviation Regiment is about to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Australia's largest helicopter - the Chinook - entering Army service. |
| The Regiment, which operates all six of the Army's Chinooks as well as Black Hawk and Iroquois helicopters, will hold a reunion and a dinner in Townsville on Friday, 20 May, to mark the 10th anniversary, which occurs tomorrow, Thursday, 19 May. |
| Since May 1995, Australian Army Chinooks have been deployed on numerous operations, including active service in the Middle East, the Sydney Olympics, drought-relief operations in New Guinea and flood-relief operations in Australia. |
| Video |
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Click-N-Go Here to view an impressive video of the Australian Chinooks in action (16.9 Mb). If you desire, Right Click and "Save Target As", to download it onto your computer. |
| More Austrailian Chinook Photographs |
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| Australian CH-47D Chinook helicopter A15-103 hovering near two MI-26 "Halo" helicopter somewhere in Afghanistan, date unknown. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger version of this image. |
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| The nose art and electric mini-gun of Australian CH-47D Chinook helicopter A15-103 somewhere in Afghanistan, date unknown. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger version of this image. |
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| Australian CH-47D Chinook helicopter A15-103 preparing for an early morning mission somewhere in Afghanistan, date unknown. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger version of this image. |
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