variants tandem helicopter operated royal_air_force raf series variants based united_states_army boeing fleet largest outside united_states seen extensive service including fighting war peace keeping commitments balkans action iraq afghanistan wars aircraft normally based raf provides heavy lift support transport branches british armed forces supported smaller medium lift helicopters royal_navy raf based design development march order placed standing helicopter cargo mark royal_air_force replace original variant based order cancelled review defence spending november ambitions revived announced requirement new heavy lift helicopter replace thirty ordered price million helicopters comparable engines designated entered service december delivered replacement metal blades aluminium glass composite blades saw aircraft designated surviving aircraft later returned boeing updated standard service raf army generation entered service improvements included upgraded engines composite blades redesigned cockpit reduce pilot workload redundant improved electrical systems advanced flight control system improved raf returned original boeing upgrading standard returned additional ordered delivery beginning ordered designation main difference standard strengthening fuselage allow fitting aerial probe future argentine captured war raf training aid rear fuselage later repair crashed retirement dates fleets scheduled respectively planned upgrades types expect flying ordered dedicated special forces helicopters intended low cost variants army include improved range night vision sensors navigation capability aircraft cost million forecast service date november delivered receive certificates possible software unfortunately profoundly piece sir head defence inherited project said original requirement actually impossible mean essential requirements read said protection missile coming direction later commented hard imagine people think able cost effectively buy requirement small production run unsuitable poor risk analysis necessary requirements omitted contract times claimed planned perform software integration boeing involvement order reduce costs lacking certification helicopters permitted fly visual meteorological conditions subsequently stored climate controlled protracted negotiations allow enter service reported november likely receive contract install system announced march called fix field programme cancelled instead revert helicopters specification programme estimated cost million june issued scathing report handling affair stating programme likely cost million time helicopters enter service july modified test flight flight testing evaluation phase program programme upgrade helicopters initiated december called includes new digital flight deck based suite comprising new displays digital moving map display electronic flight bag installation nose mounted upgrading engines powerful standard upgraded aircraft redesignated deliveries expected commence conversion flew december initial operating capability status reached june seven aircraft delivered designation assigned later reduced derived ordered digital flight control systems delivered operational history overview raf widely deployed support british military engagements serving wartime role war gulf war attached large peace keeping commitments balkans continued british presence afghanistan operation iraq war provide routine supply support missions british military notably northern_ireland helicopter use military humanitarian missions extraction civilians evacuation evacuation lebanon particular known original squadron code november come widespread public recognition remarkable service record seen action major operation involving raf helicopter year service life including lebanon germany northern_ireland iraq afghanistan war war deployed british forces april loaded aboard container ship bound support british operations november sent pick freight helicopter airborne attacked super sea missile november avoided ship destruction assisted evacuation ship later landed aircraft carrier gaining nickname survivor owing rapid spread fire smoke aboard strike possible fly helicopters remained ship deck captured intact british_army forces surrender estimated force helicopters british task force alongside helicopters post war operated squadron garrison reduced single helicopter mid-1990s type eventually withdrawn order free resources craft operations afghanistan gulf war vital transit tool gulf war iraq moving troops region start conflict january transport patrol infamous zero mission aftermath conflict british delivered food supplies thousands refugees iraq june squadron left base raf hampshire carrying join nato forces serving balkans arrived following week support operations casualty evacuations transporting vital supplies june waves escorted attack helicopters rapidly deploy british infantry forces nato phase deployment august hundreds world including british armed forces grounded cracking discovered landing gear british helicopter routine inspection helicopters british european_union citizens sierra evacuation regional instability september evacuate casualties fighting sir support ship docked lebanon july helicopters squadron deployed raf cyprus evacuate british citizens lebanon squadron flew foreign affairs representative start crisis members units deployed lebanon locate contact british citizens afghanistan helicopters relied heavily support british forces afghanistan continuously start war afghanistan saw helicopters assist british sweeping region afghanistan threat improvised explosive devices scattered terrain insurgents transport helicopters highly valued demanded units style warfare april deployed transport planes southern afghanistan support raf lost august combat operations brought enemy fire spite warnings months plans attack helicopters continued operation fleet cost effective support regimes altered december british government announced including purchase new build expand force replace losses afghanistan delivered royal_air_force number additional cut october defence review bring total fleet size aircraft raf inventory variants new build aircraft raf based built modification metal blades survivors converted conversion boeing surviving standard new build aircraft similar strengthened fuselage structure manufacturing techniques built special forces variant based built aircraft upgraded engines conversions planned aircraft upgraded new build announced expected delivered beginning originally aircraft later reduced helicopters plus attrition replacements operators raf squadron joint special forces aviation wing squadron squadron squadron joint suggestion squadron previously operated reform new squadron new aircraft order boeing delivered day day maintenance nos squadron aircraft carried engineering squadron separate squadron innovative fight flight structure provide combined engineering whilst maintaining ground crew relationships deployed deployed detachment nos squadron engineering squadron known flight raf total inventory late august notable incidents accidents crashed bad weather helicopter crew troops crashed hill miles destination hampered personnel recovered crew member died shortly crash pilot soldier died way hospital board concluded crew white conditions february crashed test flight following leaving helicopter normal cruising speed altitude feet crashed ground kilometres south east airfield destroyed subsequent fire board unable determine exact cause forward upper boost seven board crew technicians killed hit pier airport position confined space struck underside causing helicopter rear vertically fall fire started rear fuselage soon spread crew members killed major injuries destroyed june crashed scotland killing passengers crew members cause disputed august announced emergency landing following rpg strike subsequent engine fire cargo drop north afghanistan flew kilometres safe area landing crew sustained injuries evacuated aircraft rescued second sortie damaged aircraft destroyed coalition air strikes prevent falling hands august loss announced helicopter hard landing operations near province suffered damage nose crew soldiers board unharmed according location crash possible safely recover aircraft destroyed explosives deliberately cause hard landing investigated thought shot specifications data royal_air_force general characteristics crew pilot air depending aircraft role capacity soldiers equipment length diameter height weight loaded weight max takeoff weight powerplant performance maximum speed mph service ceiling rate climb min armament machine gun
Boeing Chinook (UK variants)