Armed Forces of Spain are starting the adoption process of the Chinook F transport helicopters, and their first foreign deployment will take place in Iraq. Three Chinooks will replace four Cougar choppers currently fielded for Operation Inherent Resolve, an international effort aimed at supporting the Middle Eastern countries in their fight against terrorism.
With the the third CH-47F Chinook yet to arrive, the first two have been just delivered in Iraq alongside the blades packed separately, and some spare parts. Soon, they will become part of the new Task Force Toro, Infodefensa reports. The aircraft used to transfer the helicopters, notably, is the An-124 Ruslan strategic airlift produced by the Ukrainian company Antonov.
Read more: Who Could Become a Donor of Another Patriot Air Defense System After Germany?
The second batch will not only bring another Chinook but also various equipment necessary to maintain the newly deployed helicopter as well. The journalists note that for such heavy loads, the Spanish military often uses An-124s to transport military cargo abroad. Defense Express adds that An-124 payload capacity is up to 150 tons, while each CH-47F is about 12 tons of weight.
Infodefensa notes that this is not the first time Chinooks take part in missions in Iraq, just this F modification. Earlier, the D version was involved in the same Operation Inherent Resolve from mid-2018 to the end of 2020, after that the modernization to F standard began. According to The Military Balance 2024, so far, Spain has four in the updated variant.
As for the Ukrainian An-124, the Spanish Armed Forces don't have them in service, therefore most likely, the aircraft was leased, a common practice for NATO countries.
Read more: It Seems That Ukraine's Western Allies Cannot Determine with Losses of russian Aviation
