Germany chose Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters instead of Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion to replace its heavy helicopter fleet. This has been reported Reuters.
According to the agency, the Bundeswehr will purchase 60 Chinooks to replace the aging CH-53s.
Eberhard Zorn, Inspector General of the German Armed Forces, said that the Chinook was preferred to the King Stallion due to its greater availability and abundance of spare parts. According to him, the CH-47 is used by the US military and the armed forces of many European countries, while the CH-53K is used only by the US and Israeli marines.
At the same time, the Sikorsky helicopter can carry more than 16 tons of cargo, which is 4 tons more than the carrying capacity of a Boeing helicopter. The CH-53K can carry 30 people in a chair or 24 bedridden patients, acts as a tanker and can reach a speed of 310 km/h.
The CH-47 can carry up to 55 soldiers, but its payload is limited to 12.2 tons. At the same time, the maximum speed of the vehicle is 285 km / h.
Previously reportedIt has been announced that the total amount of the contract for the purchase of heavy helicopters for the German Air Force will be 5 billion euros.