Platform profile · India · Tandem-rotor heavy-lift transport helicopter · Indian Air Force
Boeing CH-47F(I) Chinook
StableAn IAF Chinook carried a 1 Para Special Forces team and Light Specialist Vehicle during a Western Command exercise reported on 2026-06-08.
On 8 June 2026, Indian media reported a Western Command exercise in which an Indian Air Force Chinook inserted a 1 Para Special Forces team and its Light Specialist Vehicle. Two months earlier, a Chinook released a 5.7-tonne simulated Gaganyaan crew module from about 3 km altitude in ISRO's second integrated air-drop test. Western Command also reported in March 2026 that the type had deployed an Army pontoon assault bridge in the western sector, described by media as the first such use in India. Boeing completed delivery of all 15 Indian CH-47F(I)s in 2020, after the first four entered service at Chandigarh in March 2019. Its ability to move artillery, vehicles, troops and disaster-relief loads into austere and high-altitude locations makes the Chinook a critical mobility bridge between India's road heads and forward positions.
Updated 8 Jun 2026
Verified figures
Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Minimum crew | 3: pilot, copilot and flight engineer ↗ |
| Troop capacity | 33 troops plus 3 crew ↗ |
| Empty weight | 24,578 lb (11,148 kg) ↗ |
| Maximum gross weight | 50,000 lb (22,680 kg) ↗ |
| High-and-hot payload | Up to 16,000 lb (7,258 kg) ↗ |
| Maximum cruise speed | 160 kt (296 km/h) ↗ |
| Medical-evacuation capacity | 24 litters ↗ |
| External sling-load ratings | 26,000 lb centre hook; 17,000 lb forward or aft hook; 25,000 lb tandem ↗ |
| Cockpit architecture | Common Avionics Architecture System digital cockpit ↗ |
| Flight-control system | Digital Automatic Flight Control System ↗ |
Spec sources: army.mil ↗ · boeing.mediaroom.com ↗
Changelog
Program timeline
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Indian media reported a Western Command exercise in which an IAF Chinook carried a 1 Para Special Forces team and its Light Specialist Vehicle for a heliborne insertion; the exercise date was not disclosed.
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For Gaganyaan IADT-02 at Sriharikota, an IAF Chinook lifted a 5.7-tonne simulated crew module to about 3 km and released it over the sea for parachute-recovery testing.
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Western Command reported that an IAF Chinook had airlifted and deployed an Indian Army pontoon assault bridge in the western sector, described by media as the country's first Chinook bridge-laying demonstration.
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Chinook helicopters took part in casualty-evacuation and equipment-transport demonstrations at Exercise Vayu Shakti 2026 at Pokhran.
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An IAF Chinook released a roughly 4.8-tonne simulated Gaganyaan crew module from about 3 km altitude during the first Integrated Air Drop Test.
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Boeing announced completion of deliveries to the IAF; the final five of 15 CH-47F(I) helicopters had been handed over in March 2020.
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The IAF began operational use of Chinooks in high-altitude areas including the Siachen Glacier sector, ferrying heavy military equipment to forward positions.
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The IAF formally inducted the CH-47F(I) at Air Force Station Chandigarh with the first four of 15 helicopters delivered.
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Boeing announced that India's Ministry of Defence had finalised the order for 15 CH-47F Chinooks alongside 22 AH-64E Apaches, including production, training and support.
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