Chinook Helicopters

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

The US Army has grounded its fleet of CH-47 Chinook helicopters after finding the helicopter to be at risk of engine fires. The Indian Air Force (IAF) also operates a fleet of Chinook Helicopters.

Why has the US Army grounded Chinooks?

• The US Army operates around 400 Chinook helicopters which are medium-lift, multi-role helicopters manufactured by Boeing who perform a variety of tasks in support of Army operations. 
• As per the news broken by The Wall Street Journal, the Chinook fleet has been grounded by the US Army as it is suspected that some engine fires broke out on an unspecified number of helicopters. 
• There have been no casualties because of these fires, yet a decision was taken to ground the helicopters as a precautionary measure.

About Chinook