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 plans to invest over $1 billion to modernize its CH-47 Chinook helicopter fleet, aiming to extend its operational life into the 2060s.
Modernization efforts include a $472 million contract with Collins Aerospace for advanced, open-architecture avionics upgrades to address obsolescence and integrate systems.
A significant portion of the investment goes towards Boeing's CH-47F Block II variant, which offers increased lift capacity, extended range, and reduced maintenance through an improved drivetrain, reinforced airframe, and enhanced fuel system.
Future enhancements also involve testing Boeing's "Approach-to-X" (A2X) technology for automated approaches and landings, designed to reduce pilot workload.

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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.