In a deal amounting to more than 426 million dollars, the American aircraft manufacturer Boeing announced that Egypt will buy from it 12 military helicopters of the "Chinook 47"model

Boeing said in a statement on its website that the US Army awarded it a contract for the production of 12 Chinook 47 aircraft for the Egyptian Air Force.

Boeing said that the value of the transaction amounted to 426 million dollars, and was subject to the rules of the Foreign Military Sales Authority of the US Department of Defense.

She explained that Egypt will replace its fleet of Chinook 47D aircraft with the juvenile model of the "F" Type, where it will benefit from its advanced multi-tasking capabilities.

The statement continued, quoting the company's vice president, Ken Eiland: "the F-Type aircraft will upgrade the capabilities of Egypt's Chinook aircraft and will effectively help achieve the goals of heavy payloads.

The company defined the helicopter "Chinook 47" as an advanced multi-mission aircraft used by the US Army and many armies around the world.

She reviewed its advantages, including a full digital cockpit system, and integrated capabilities to handle large payloads.

The US Department of Defense "Pentagon" approved last May the sale of Chinook 47-F helicopters and related equipment to Egypt.

According to the US Department of Defense, the deal comes to"strengthen the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a key non-NATO ally," calling Egypt an"important strategic partner of Washington in the Middle East".

Observers and specialists in military affairs described the new deal as the culmination of the"golden year" of Strategic and military relations between Egypt and the United States, and a strong indicator of the growing strategic partnership between the two countries for advanced stages.

The capabilities of the aircraft are as follows :

Its operational range is about 600 km.

Capable of transporting between 30 to 50 fully equipped combat elements.

It can carry payloads of up to 12 tons, including military equipment including cannons and armored vehicles.

Rely on radar for mapping and determining the terrain.

It also includes systems for identifying the enemy from the friend and determining the air navigation "GPS", a warning system against missiles.