The defense and budget committee of the German parliament also approved the purchase of 60 Boeing CH-47F Chinook helicopters for the Bundeswehr. These helicopters are expected to play a decisive role not only in national defense, but also in the defense of the NATO alliance and overseas missions. The first batch of helicopters is expected to be delivered in 2027.
The helicopters will cost a total of about 7.2 billion euros, but this amount does not include the additional costs needed to transform the military infrastructure. An additional 750 million euros will be needed to make military facilities suitable for operating helicopters, which includes the construction of new buildings and hangars, the conversion of flight operations areas and the expansion of existing fuel depots.
Despite the strategic importance of the helicopters, until the day before the meeting, there were concerns about whether the committee would approve this purchase due to the rising costs, as a total of six billion euros was originally planned for the Chinooks.
Source: Reuters
Cover image: Getty Images
