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Boeing bags new US army helicopter contract |
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Wednesday, 03 September 2008 |
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Boeing has been awarded with a new contract to provide the US army with nearly 200 Chinook helicopters.
Boeing has announced the capture of a $4.3 billion (£2.4 billion) helicopter contract from the US army, just days after it threatened to pull out of the lucrative competition to provide the US Air Force with new refuelling tankers.
That is according to the Financial Times, which reports that the helicopter contract ties Boeing to delivering 191 Chinook CH-47F helicopters to the army over the next five years. Options are also present for 24 more.
Jack Dougherty, vice president of H-47 programmes at Boeing, told the paper that the contract would allow the army to realise savings of $450 million (£253 million).
"This also builds security into our production schedule for the next five years, stabilising the workforce for Boeing and for our supplier partners," he said.
Boeing is expected to announce soon whether it will pull out of the refuelling tanker contest if it is not granted six months extra to work on its proposal. The contract was previously awarded to Northrop Grumman and Eads in March, but was reopened following protests from Boeing.
Last month, Boeing delivered a proposal offering the advanced F/A-18E/F Super Hornet to the Royal Danish Air Force, as part of Denmark's new combat aircraft competition. |
