There’s a lot of public cash going to three Pennsylvania military contractors, including Boeing helicopter division based at the engineering and factory complex in Ridley Park, writes Joseph N. DiStefano for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The plan got $497.1 million to build 14 new CH-47F Chinook helicopters.

Chinooks were introduced in the Vietnam War and were the U.S. Army’s chief transport for equipment and troop deployment in the late 1900s and early 2000s.

Upgraded versions are also used by Special Forces and 20 U.S. allies.

Chinooks also happen to be one of two main products produced at the Ridley plant, along with the tilt-rotor Osprey aircraft, used by the U.S. Marines and recently ordered by Japan.

Philadelphia-area congressmen have lobbied to continue the CH-47F Chinook line at Ridley, despite Pentagon plans to reduce long-term Chinook orders in favor of long-range artillery and drones.

The work employs more than 4,000 and Boeing is the region’s largest industrial employer.

The Boeing plant lost to competitor Textron Bell earlier this month on a U.S. Army helicopter contract to build a successor to the Black Hawk assault helicopter. The Army chose Textron’s V-280 Valor over Boeing’s Defiant X.

Read more about the new Chinook contract in Ridley Part at The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Find out more about the CH-47F Chinook helicopter.