Italian army receives new CH-47F Chinook

AgustaWestland delivered the Italian army's first two of at least 16 ICH-47F Chinook transport helicopters on 2 October, during a ceremony held at its Vergiate plant near Varese.
The current fleet of modernised CH-47Cs, has been the workhorse of Italian army aviation for more than four decades and have flown 5,600h in the extreme conditions of Afghanistan.
The first ICH-47F left AgustaWestland's facility with the army's first qualified crew immediately after the ceremony to reach Viterbo; the home of the 1st Regiment “Antares”, which already operates 17 CH-47C+ helicopters. The second aircraft will follow around mid-October, with two more to be transferred before the end of the year. Initial operating capability with the new variant is expected to be declared in around 12 months.
flightglobal