The US Army has tapped Collins Aerospace for a contract worth up to $472 million to provide engineering services to modernize its CH-47 Chinook fleet.
The US Army has tapped Collins Aerospace for a contract worth up to $472 million to provide engineering services to modernize and sustain its CH-47 Chinook fleet.
The RTX business will support avionics upgrades designed to integrate new capabilities, address obsolete components, and strengthen the helicopter's avionics architecture.
Collins will focus on systems that bring communications, navigation, and mission subsystems together through a flexible, interoperable cockpit. Upgrades will also use open and reusable avionics architectures, allowing new technologies to be integrated more easily across the army's aviation fleet.
Work under the contract will take place in Huntsville, Alabama, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
“Our longstanding avionics partnership with the US Army ensures the fleet continuously evolves to support the warfighter and meet future operational demands,” Collins Vice President Jenny Miller said.
Chinook Modernization
The CH-47F Chinook is getting new flight and crew assistance capabilities as the US Army moves to modernize its heavy-lift helicopter fleet.
In April, Boeing's Digital Automated Flight Control System enabled a CH-47F to complete a landing without pilot input during a flight test, marking the first time the heavy-lift helicopter touched down on all wheels using supervised autonomy.
Meanwhile, in March, the army awarded Elbit Systems of America a $49.9-million contract to produce Air Warrior colorized heads-up displays for its CH-47 Chinook and UH-60 Black Hawk fleets. The system projects flight and mission information into the aircrew's line of sight, allowing pilots to keep their attention outside the cockpit.
Earlier, in November 2025, Boeing secured an $876.4-million contract to supply the army with up to 60 CH-47F Chinooks. The deal also includes performance-based logistics, training, and non-recurring engineering.
