The Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) have ordered 17 CH-47 Block II Chinook Extended Range helicopters to modernise their fleet, replacing some of their CH-47J/JA aircraft, manufacturer Boeing announced on 13 February 2025.
The aircraft will be co-produced by Boeing and Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI), just as with previous Chinooks procured by Japan. The two companies have collectively delivered over 100 Chinooks to the JSDF since the 1980s in one of the longest-lasting and most successful licence manufacturing programmes in Japan.
The Japanese Ministry of Defence (MoD) has secured JPY308.8 billion for the procurement in the Financial Year (FY) 2024 budget to replace the current ageing CH-47 fleet. The Japan Ground Self-Defence Force (JGSDF) model to be procured is the CH-47JA Block II, while the model being procured by the Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF) is the CH-47A Block II.
While the JSDF have procured the previous J and JA models, which were based on the CH-47D, since the mid-1980s, they will keep the same formal names of CH-47JA and CH-47J for the aircraft to be newly procured.
Twelve CH-47JAs will be procured for the JGSDF for JPY161.11 billion (EUR 1 billion), while five CH-47Js will be procured for the JASDF for JPY71.42 billion.
The Block II Chinook extended-range aircraft is Boeing’s next generation of heavylift, multi-mission helicopter. The aircraft features an advanced digital cockpit, reinforced airframe, enhanced fuel tanks that give a range of around 1,000 km and other improvements, allowing increased performance and commonality with the expanding global fleet of updated Chinooks.
The adoption of a modern aircraft design and avionics architecture enables future technology upgrades and the ability to further expand operational capabilities.
Both Japanese models will integrate missile warning and self-protection systems that are different from those in US Block II Chinooks. The CH-47JA for the JGSDF will be equipped with voice data and recording systems, while the CH-47J for the JASDF will be equipped with a floor-levelling device to match the height of a cargo loader when loading pallets. The procurement costs of this equipment are JPY17.6 billion and JPY19.6 billion respectively.
Japan joins the United States, United Kingdom and Germany as the fourth global customer for this advanced configuration of the Chinook.
“This award strengthens our decades-long relationship with KHI and provides critical capability improvements that will keep the Japan Self-Defense Forces operating heavylift aircraft for decades to come,” Heather McBryan, vice president and programme manager for Boeing Cargo Programs, was quoted as saying in a company press release. “The Block II configuration and digital flight controls will modernise and significantly improve Japan’s helicopter transport capabilities by improving aircraft stability, safety and efficiency.”
The Japanese MoD’s Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA) told ESD in February 2025 that it is considering increasing the number of JGSDF CH-47s from the current 50 to 60 aircraft, while taking into account the replacement progress of the current fleet, as well as increasing the number of JASDF CH-47s from the current fleet of 15 to 20 aircraft, aiming to improve the JSDF’s mobile deployment capability. While the US military operates older Chinook models upgraded to the F standard, ATLA explained that there are currently no plans to upgrade Japan’s existing CH-47s to the F Block II model from a cost-effectiveness point of view.
In the FY2023 budget the MoD initially planned to procure 34 CH-47s in one batch for the JGSDF and JASDF. The plan envisaged a procurement unit cost of around JPY7.6 billion, based on an optimistic exchange rate assumption of 108 JPY to the US dollar, but the cost of imported components and other items soared, causing the procurement unit cost to almost double. As a result, the plan exceeded the Ground Staff’s budget request quota and the procurement request was not made for FY2023. Thus, the ministry requested the procurement with the half-reduced number in FY2024. It will be a challenge whether the remaining 17 aircraft can be procured during the period of the current Defence Buildup Program through to FY2027.
