U.S. Army Awards Collins $427M for CH-47 Chinook Modernization

Avionics upgrades will support modernization and sustainment for the branch’s workhorse heavy-lift helicopter.

Jack Daleo

Wednesday, August 12, 2026 at 02:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

RTX said avionics system updates will help ensure mission readiness for the Army’s CH-47 fleet. [Credit: U.S. Army]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Army is investing over $1 billion to modernize its CH-47 Chinook helicopter fleet, aiming to extend its operational life into the 2060s.
Key modernization efforts include a $472 million contract with Collins Aerospace for advanced, open-architecture avionics upgrades to address obsolescence and integrate systems.
The Army is also procuring up to 60 CH-47F Block II variants from Boeing, which offer increased lift capacity, extended range, and reduced maintenance, along with testing automated flight technology.

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The U.S. Army now plans to spend north of $1 billion to modernize its fleet of venerable CH-47 Chinook helicopters in order to keep them flying into the 2060s.

RTX on Tuesday announced that the Army awarded Collins Aerospace a contract worth up to $472 million for avionics upgrades designed to keep the platform mission-ready well into the future. Combined with its October 2025 award of more than $870 million to Boeing for up to 60 CH-47F Block II variants, the Army’s spending on Chinook modernization could climb to ten figures.