Replacement for ageing Sikorskys is part of spending spree after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Germany has announced it will buy a fleet of Chinook CH-47 transport helicopters as part of a €100 billion ($107bn) upgrade of its military after Russia invaded Ukraine.
The 60 Chinooks will replace an ageing stock of Sikorsky CH-53G helicopters that were first used by the West German military in the 1970s.
They were chosen ahead of a more modern Sikorsky model because the Chinook is widely used in Europe and will allow for more military co-operation between Germany and its neighbours, Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said.
The order is part of what Chancellor Olaf Scholz has described as a watershed moment for Germany’s armed forces after years of underinvestment.
Ministers blame the military’s threadbare supplies for limiting how far they can go in arming Ukraine without leaving Germany exposed. Kyiv has expressed frustration over the slow pace of weapons deliveries from Berlin.
“Russia’s brutal war of aggression has made us painfully aware of a long-overlooked fact: anyone who wants to live in freedom needs military strength to defend that freedom,” Ms. Lambrecht said.
Germany at NATO@GermanyNATO
The CH-47F Chinook is to be the #Bundeswehr’s new heavy-lift transport helicopter. It will strengthen our ability to work with other armed forces in Europe. It is modern, tried & tested, and already in use by our #NATO partners. The Bundestag has yet to approve this decision.
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