Egypt: The US State Department has approved the sale of 23 Chinook CH-47 helicopters and equipment for 2.6 billion dollars

The Pentagon announced in a May 26 statement that the US State Department has approved the sale to Egypt of 23 Chinook CH-47 helicopters and related equipment for $2.6 billion.

The sale of these heavy-lift helicopters must now be approved by the US Congress, the same source added.

In addition to the 23 aircraft, the contract concluded between Egypt and Boeing Helicopter Co, a subsidiary of the aircraft manufacturer Boeing, provides for the acquisition of several pieces of equipment, including 52 GPS systems, HF radios, night vision binoculars, machine guns and spare parts.

Commissioned in 1962, the Chinook CH-47 helicopter has become legendary since the Vietnam War. The US Army has 850 copies. This twin-rotor aircraft is capable of flying at more than 300 km/h, carrying around ten tonnes of equipment and landing anywhere.

The United States maintains good relations with Egypt, as the guarantor of regional security and the very strategic Suez Canal. The Pentagon statement also stresses that “the regional balance will not be altered by this delivery of helicopters“.

In mid-May, the US State Department approved the sale to Egypt of 5,000 TOW 2A RF anti-tank guided missiles. The amount of this contract has not been disclosed.