Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when Chinook helicopters will next leave operational service; how many will be (a) withdrawn and (b) replaced; and what plans he has for them on retirement.

The Department will be retiring a total of 23 Chinooks through different initiatives.

Following the Integrated Review, nine Chinook airframes will be retired from the fleet of 60 and these will be withdrawn from service by 2025.

A further 14 of the oldest and most fatigued airframes will be retired and replaced from 2027 onwards as part of a Capability Sustainment Programme. As announced by the Secretary of State for Defence in May last year, the MOD plans to procure 14 new H-47 (Extended Range) Chinooks as replacements for these.

The Ministry of Defence are currently generating the full retirement plan.