19th March 2025 at 12:49pm
Chinooks from 27 Squadron have swapped their usual land base for sea, operating from the Royal Navy’s flagship, HMS Prince of Wales.
The helicopters from RAF Odiham have been taking part in Exercise Hathi Pol, an interoperability exercise between the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.
The aim of the helis’ involvement is to achieve Embarkation Qualifications on the carrier while highlighting the Chinook Force’s requirement to operate in a multi-domain environment.
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The Chinook is an extremely capable and highly versatile support helicopter that can be operated from land bases or ships into a diverse range of environments, from the Arctic to the desert or jungle.
Chinooks can be armed, and are fitted with a suite of self-defence equipment allowing them to operate across the battlespace.
While they are mainly used for carrying troops, they are also vital for resupply and battlefield casualty evacuation missions.
The Chinook has a triple-hook external load system, an internal cargo winch, roller conveyor and large reserves of power, meaning it can lift a wide variety of complex underslung or internal loads, including vehicles.
Each aircraft can carry up to 55 soldiers or marines, or up to approximately 10 tonnes of mixed cargo.
Secondary roles include search and rescue and supporting a wide variety of specialist tasks, including the Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA) commitment.
A Chinook crew comprises two pilots and two crew members, supplemented by specialists depending on the requirements of the mission.
The RAF’s current operational Chinook fleet comprises Mk 5, Mk 6 and Mk 6A aircraft, fitted with digital glass cockpits to a common standard.
The Mk 6 was acquired as a UK-specific variant of the CH-47F and also introduced a Digital Automatic Flight Control System (DAFCS).
According to the RAF, this greatly enhances handling and safety, particularly when operating in recirculating dust or snow conditions.
The Chinook HC.Mk 5 results from an upgrade of the extended-range Mk 3, the so-called Fat Tank aircraft, which carries double the fuel load of a standard Chinook.
The earlier Mk 4 Chinooks are being further upgraded to Mk 6A standard with the addition of DAFCS.
The 14 oldest Chinooks, some of which are more than 35 years old, will be replaced by the state-of-the-art H-47(Extended Range) from 2027 onwards in a phased retirement.
The H-47(ER) offers a modern capability that will allow the RAF to operate even closer with partner nations, including the United States.
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