The United States Army shows a Spanish CH-47F Chinook helicopter flying in Iraq

@DefAviation ES 5·27·2024 · 23:32 0

A month and a half ago we saw here the embarkation of two CH-47F Chinook of the Spanish Army on a Ukrainian AN-124 Ruslan bound for Iraq.

The loading of two Spanish CH-47F Chinook helicopters on a Ukrainian Antonov An-124
The delivery operation of a CH-47F Chinook helicopter to Spain with an American C-17

As we saw then, it is the first deployment of the Spanish CH-47F Chinook in Iraq, specifically for the ISPUHEL XX contingent, known in that area of operations as Task Force Toro and which flies from the Air Base of Al Assad. The helicopters belong to the Transport Helicopter Battalion V (BHELTRA V). The two aircraft sent with the HT.17-29A (ET-429) and the HT.17-30A (ET-430)

Last Friday, the United States Army The United States released images of one of these Spanish helicopters, the HT.17-29A (ET-429), flying over Iraq at an undisclosed location. The photos were taken by Sergeant Vincent Levele of the US Army. You can see the photos of the Spanish helicopter here (click on each image if you want to see it enlarged).

In some photos we see the Spanish Chinook Foxtrot with another American helicopter of the same type, the CH-47F 13-08137, belonging to the Task Force Cardinal of the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, framed in the 82nd Airborne Division of the US Army.

As you can see, the Spanish helicopter had its gunners in position. In the photos we clearly see one on the rear ramp and another on the starboard door, both equipped with 7.62 mm FN MAG M240 machine guns. Although no photos have been published showing the other side of the aircraft, the Spanish CH-47F also had the port window gunner in position. Here you can see two enlargements of the last photo.

Here we can see three photos of the CH-47F of the United States Army. It is almost identical to the Spanish one, although the paint is more worn. In the photos we see the port window gunner in position with an M-240 machine gun.