Airforces

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The Netherlands’ first seven Chinooks were former

Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft dating from 1974

and modified to CH-47D standard by Boeing. These

former CH-147s became operational within the

RNLAF in August 1995, carrying serials D-661

to D-667. Three years later Boeing delivered six

factory-fresh CH-47Ds to the Netherlands. With

the delivery of these – serials D-101 to D-106 –

the total number of Dutch Chinooks rose to 13.

In the years that followed, the aircraft were intensively

employed in support of missions including Kosovo

Force (KFOR), United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and

Eritrea (UNMEE), Stabilization Force (SFOR), Stabilization

Force Iraq (SFIR), Operation Enduring Freedom

(OEF) and the International Security

Assistance Force (ISAF). More recently,

Dutch Chinooks contributed to

the UN mission in Mali.

The RNLAF lost two Chinooks

in accidents during the Afghan

deployment in 2005. On July

27 the crew of D-105 was

assigned a mission to supply

Dutch special forces in the

field. During a brown-out

landing, the helicopter hit the

ground and was consumed by

fire, with no fatalities. Soon after, a

replacement, D-104, was transferred

to Afghanistan. This aircraft hit a

mountain peak on October 30 during a transport

flight from Mazar-e-Sharif to Kandahar Airfield, injuring

two crew. Due to the height of the terrain, the wreckage

couldn’t be airlifted and was therefore destroyed in situ.

CH-47F(NL)

In mid-February 2007, the RNLAF ordered six new-

build CH-47F(NL)s from Boeing to meet a growing

demand for heavy transport and to replace the two

lost helicopters. The Netherlands became the first

international CH-47F customer. The CH-47F(NL), a

custom version of the US Army’s CH-47F, includes

Honeywell’s Avionics Control and Management System

(ACMS) Block 6 cockpit, two CASE pods (Chinook

Aircraft Survivability Equipment) and fast rope positions

for special forces missions. The Dutch F-models can

also be equipped with the Wescam MX-15HDi turret.

Delivery of the CH-47F(NL)s was delayed by more

than three years due to difficulties in developing both

hardware and software.

The first two F-models

arrived on October 8, 2012,

joining 298 ‘Grizzly’ Squadron

in the Netherlands. The remaining

four CH-47F(NL)s are operated by

302 Squadron for training at the Joint Dutch

Training Detachment (JNTD). The unit is based at Fort

Hood, Texas and employs six AH-64D Apaches and

four CH-47F(NL) Chinooks to train RNLAF aviators.

Replacement

In May 2012, the then Minister of Defence Hans

Hillen briefed the Dutch House of Representatives

on the status of the ageing CH-47D fleet. The

Chinooks showed crack formations in the airframe

and some of their components were out-dated.

As a result, it became necessary to consider

modernising or replacing the Chinooks. Instead of

a mid-life update, the Dutch parliament decided to

replace the entire ‘Delta’ fleet. The cost would be

greater, but would bring many operational benefits

and ensure a longer lifespan of the new fleet.

In 2014, Boeing offered the Dutch MoD 11 new

CH-47F(NL)s. The costs proved to be higher than

expected and another type was chosen. The CH-47F

MYII CAAS (Multiyear II upgrade, Common Avionics

Architecture System) was selected the following

year. This variant, already in production for the

US Army, will be suitable for Dutch operational

requirements with minor modifications. These

include crash-resistant cockpit seats and a VHF

Combat Net Radio (CNR) for secure communication

with Dutch ground units. In order not to interrupt the

production process, the adjustments will be made

after delivery – it will take a minimum of six months

to adjust each helicopter to the Dutch standards.

Fourteen CH-47Fs have been ordered for the

RNLAF. In addition, the six F-models currently in

service will be upgraded. According to the Dutch

MoD, the combined cost is around €838m, which is

within the budget of over €915m. To save money, the

MoD, in consultation with Boeing, aims to reuse as

many parts of the existing D-models as possible.

The new helicopters will be delivered from next

summer onwards, after which the 11 CH-47Ds

will be retired and possibly sold. With new

CH-47Fs under contract to modernise the fleet,

it’s expected the RNLAF will continue to operate

the Chinook until at least 2045. Sven van Roij

Five years of the ‘Foxtrot’

Above: Aircrews undertook extra training for landing in sandy environments after

operational losses in Afghanistan in 2005. Various low-fl ying areas have been

designated in the Netherlands for this purpose. Sven van Roij Left: Dutch troops

trained extensively in realistic scenarios prior to their deployment to Mali,

including practising the extraction of special forces. Here, the gunner on the

ramp of a CH-47F(NL) observes the environment – a CH-47D can be seen in the

background. Sven van Roij

Below: Flying in darkness is one of the skills

aircrews train for in the Netherlands and

abroad. CH-47D D-666 – a former Canadian

aircraft – has just returned to the tarmac at

Gilze-Rijen AB after another fl ight. Sven van Roij

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