The Egypt CH-47F Chinook delivery is underway: the Egyptian Air Force has taken delivery of its first five Boeing CH-47F Chinook helicopters, with the milestone marked during the 8-10 September El Alamein International Airshow at El Alamein International Airport. The handover moves forward a roughly $426 million foreign military sale that Boeing was awarded in January 2023 to supply Cairo with 12 of the new heavy-lift helicopters.
The five aircraft are the first of the batch to reach Egypt; the remaining seven under the contract are still awaiting delivery. The new F-model helicopters are intended to replace the Egyptian Air Force’s fleet of CH-47D Chinooks, which Boeing’s own account of its Egyptian military relationship now puts at 18 aircraft.
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First CH-47Fs Handed Over at El Alamein
The handover was timed to the second edition of the El Alamein International Airshow, a three-day event on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast organized with the Egyptian Ministry of Defence, the Egyptian Air Force, the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Egyptian Space Agency and EgyptAir. Boeing took part as a Silver Sponsor, and the arrival of the first five CH-47Fs gave the show a concrete deliverable alongside the usual round of static displays and flying demonstrations.
Cairo placed its order for a dozen CH-47Fs in January 2023, drawing on a broader U.S. State Department approval from May 2022 that had cleared a potential sale of up to 23 Chinooks worth as much as $2.6 billion. Egypt ultimately contracted for the smaller 12-aircraft package that now forms the Egypt CH-47F Chinook program.
Inside the $426 Million Modernization Deal
The Foreign Military Sale contract, valued at roughly $426 million, was awarded to Boeing by the U.S. Army on Egypt’s behalf. It marked a scaled-down version of the 23-helicopter package Washington had authorized for possible sale the previous year, with Cairo instead committing to 12 aircraft to begin replacing its Chinook fleet.
The CH-47F brings several upgrades over the D-model helicopters it is replacing:
- A fully integrated digital cockpit management system
- The Common Avionics Architecture System cockpit, shared across the Chinook and Apache fleets
- Advanced cargo-handling systems built for heavy-lift and multi-mission work
- A machined airframe intended to reduce structural maintenance demands
Boeing has said the F-model is expected to remain the U.S. Army’s primary heavy-lift helicopter into the late 2030s, giving Egypt a platform with a long service runway ahead of it as the remaining seven aircraft on its order are completed.
Why Egypt Is Retiring Its CH-47D Fleet
Egypt’s relationship with the Chinook goes back decades. The Egyptian Air Force began operating the type in the early 1980s and has upgraded its fleet in stages since, moving from C-model to D-model aircraft over the 1990s and 2000s. Those CH-47Ds have been flown by 18 Squadron, part of 546 Air Wing, and by the 33 Squadron Chinook operational conversion unit, based at Kom Awshim air base south of Cairo.
The D-model fleet has carried the bulk of Egypt’s heavy-lift helicopter missions for years, but it lacks the digital cockpit and cargo-handling upgrades built into the F-model. Replacing it with CH-47Fs is intended to give the Egyptian Air Force the same baseline heavy-lift capability the U.S. Army and other Chinook operators already fly.
“Egypt is one of the region’s most important defence and security partners. Our relationship with the Egyptian Armed Forces has been built over decades, and we are focused on enabling personnel to protect their country, respond to disasters, and return home safely.”
Dr. Brendan Nelson, senior vice president of The Boeing Company and president of Boeing Global
Boeing’s Broader Presence at El Alamein 2026
Beyond the Chinook handover, Boeing used its exhibit stand at El Alamein to highlight a wider slice of its Egypt-relevant lineup, including the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter and the KC-46A Pegasus tanker, which also supports airlift and medical evacuation missions. The company has framed its Egyptian relationship as dating back to 1979, when the Egyptian Air Force first acquired the F-4 Phantom II, and says it has since expanded that fleet to include 43 AH-64D Apaches alongside the CH-47D Chinooks now being phased out.
A Diversified Defense Posture
The Chinook handover landed at a show where Egypt’s pattern of buying from multiple suppliers was on full display. Russian state defense conglomerate Rostec used El Alamein 2026 to debut its Su-57E export fighter carrying weaponry it says has never been shown publicly before, while Rosoboronexport brought a wider exhibit of Russian aircraft, air-defense systems and munitions aimed at customers across Egypt, Africa and the Middle East. Egypt already operates French Rafale and Mirage 2000 fighters alongside U.S.-supplied F-16s, and the Chinook delivery reinforces that Cairo continues to draw on American suppliers for its helicopter fleet even as it courts other partners for fixed-wing combat aircraft.
FAQ: Egypt’s CH-47F Chinook Delivery
What makes the CH-47F different from the CH-47D?
The CH-47F adds a fully integrated digital cockpit, the Common Avionics Architecture System, and updated cargo-handling systems, along with a machined airframe designed to cut down on structural maintenance compared with the older D-model.
How many CH-47Fs has Egypt ordered in total?
The Egypt CH-47F Chinook program covers 12 helicopters under a January 2023 contract worth roughly $426 million, out of a larger 23-aircraft package the U.S. State Department had approved for possible sale in May 2022.
When will Egypt receive the remaining helicopters?
Seven of the 12 contracted CH-47Fs are still awaiting delivery. Neither Boeing nor the Egyptian Air Force has published a public timeline for completing the remaining deliveries.
Looking Ahead
Seven CH-47Fs remain outstanding in the Egypt CH-47F Chinook program, and their delivery timeline will determine how quickly the Egyptian Air Force can complete its transition away from the CH-47D. The Aviation Diary will continue tracking the program as further aircraft arrive and as Boeing and the Egyptian Air Force disclose more about basing and squadron assignments for the new fleet.
Sources
- FlightGlobal — “Boeing delivers first F-model Chinooks for Egyptian air force”
- TradeArabia — “Boeing to showcase key defence platforms at El Alamein Airshow”
- Defense Arabia — coverage of Egypt’s first CH-47F Chinook delivery at El Alamein 2026
- Aviacionline — “Egypt acquires 12 CH-47F Chinook heavy helicopters” (January 2023 contract award)
- Raksha Anirveda — Rosoboronexport’s Su-57E exhibit at El Alamein International Airshow 2026
- Africa-Press — wire mirror confirming Egypt’s first CH-47F batch and remaining seven aircraft
- Scramble Magazine — “Contract awarded for Egyptian Air Force Chinooks” (January 2023)
- Defense Arabia (English) — “Boeing to Showcase Apache, Chinook and KC-46A at El Alamein Airshow 2026”
- Egypt Independent — Su-57E debut at Egypt International Airshow 2026
