Aircraft · Air
CH-47 Chinook
Tandem-rotor heavy-lift helicopter for cargo and troop transport.
by Boeing
FieldedAircraftAirMilestoneMay 1961
boeing.com/defense/military-rotorcraft/h-47-chinook- Milestones3
- Operators1
- Components1
- Programs—
- Capabilities—
- Inputs—
Photo: U.S. Army photo by Elena Baladelli · Public domain (PD-USGov-Military-Army) · Resized and reencoded as WebP; no additional crop. CH-47-family photograph; the cost profile specifically covers CH-47F.
Milestones1961
Boeing heavy-lift tandem-rotor helicopter for cargo and troop transport, search and rescue, casualty evacuation, special operations and disaster relief. The CH-47F Block II adds structural, drivetrain, fuel-system and avionics changes; Honeywell T55 engines provide propulsion.
Timeline3
- First flightConfirmed
YCH-1B Chinook prototype first flight
- MilestoneConfirmed
First YHC-1B prototype rolled out
Build B001, serial 59-04982, rolled out. This aircraft subsequently served as a ground-test article and never flew. The source establishes hardware rollout, not the earliest public announcement of the named product.
- MilestoneConfirmed
Earliest documented public appearance: published Chinook rollout photograph
Earliest supported public appearance found in the sources reviewed for this research; not a claim of the first-ever announcement or original unveiling. Earlier evidence may revise this date. The May 1961 Army Aviation issue publishes a named YHC-1B photograph and Boeing Vertol material. The underlying April 28 rollout remains a separate event; its public-access status is not inferred.
The latest 10 milestones. Solid entries are confirmed, outlined reported, dashed estimated or still to come; dotted italic entries are speculative. Dates show only the precision the sources give.
Operators1
- USUnited States
Cost to the Government
Helicopters · Boeing
CH-47F Chinook
Heavy-lift transport with separate Block I and Block II acquisition scopes; the Block II program also contains special-operations aircraft.
Block II average procurement / aircraft
$39.511M
2019-12 SAR · Then-year USD
Mixed Block II program includes conventional CH-47F and 73 special-operations MH-47G aircraft. Not a standard Block I flyaway quote.
Department of Defense ↗GAO ↗CH-47 family cost-study fleet
362
FY2017 · U.S. only
Family-level historical population, not a current Block II fleet.
GAO ↗Block II acquisition quantity
542
2019-12 SAR · U.S. only
Three development and 539 procurement aircraft; includes 73 MH-47G aircraft.
Department of Defense ↗GAO ↗Block II R&D total
$811.2M
2019-12 SAR · Then-year USD
Shared Block II development scope.
Department of Defense ↗Block II is not one uniform aircraft price
The selected acquisition report groups conventional and special-operations helicopters in one Block II program. Its average changes with production schedule and mix, so the MH-47G profile separately identifies SOCOM-funded work.
Operations & sustainment
Annual O&S / aircraft
$1.48M / yr
FY2017 · Constant FY2018 USD
CH-47 family average; not isolated to Block II.
GAO ↗Reimbursement / flight hour
$8,185 / hr
FY2026 · Nominal USD; Other DoD Component
Published billing rate for use by another DoD component. It is not the fully burdened cost of ownership.
DoD Comptroller ↗Cost over time · 5 observations
Each row retains its original scope and dollar basis. Changing quantities, service life and inflation can change the estimate without changing the price of building one unit.
| Observation | Measure | Amount | Dollar basis | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-12 SAR | Block II average procurement / aircraft Prior program estimate; schedule and scope affect the average. | $47.301M | Then-year USD | Department of Defense ↗ |
| 2019-12 SAR | Block II average procurement / aircraft Mixed Block II program includes conventional CH-47F and 73 special-operations MH-47G aircraft. Not a standard Block I flyaway quote. | $39.511M | Then-year USD | Department of Defense ↗ |
| FY2011 | Annual O&S / aircraft CH-47 family historical study. | $2.07M / yr | Constant FY2018 USD | GAO ↗ |
| FY2025 | Reimbursement / flight hour Published billing rate for use by another DoD component. It is not the fully burdened cost of ownership. | $7,452 / hr | Nominal USD; Other DoD Component | DoD Comptroller ↗ |
| FY2026 | Reimbursement / flight hour Published billing rate for use by another DoD component. It is not the fully burdened cost of ownership. | $8,185 / hr | Nominal USD; Other DoD Component | DoD Comptroller ↗ |
Contracts & purchasing · 0 records
Award values, ceilings and purchase agreements have different meanings. These records are not added together as total spending.
No primary-source contract record verified in this review. This does not mean there are no contracts.
International buyers
No international purchase documented in this review.
Coverage & open research
- Figures retain the date and scope of the original source. A historical count, cumulative delivery or procurement plan is not today’s mission-capable inventory.
Unit costs and contract unit prices for this system, and budget figures for the programs that buy it. Each figure states its dollar basis and links its source; contract values are under Programs & awards.