The Boeing helicopter plant in Ridley Park, with 4,000 employees, reached the last stage of production for its first CH-47F Block II Chinook, the newest model of the heavy-lift Chinook helicopters, writes Ryan Mullgan for Philadelphia Business Journal.

The latest model Chinook is part of a $136 million contract Boeing received from the U.S. Army in September 2021. It picked up a second Army order for $63 million a year later and expects two more Army contracts in September for $200 million.

Boeing expects to deliver 14 new Chinooks to the Army.

“The final assembly of this new aircraft is monumental for our region because when milestones like this arise, the economic multiplier effect, the force multiplier, will lead to more opportunities and more jobs across this region, from STEM jobs to businesses that comprise the supply chain for materials,” said U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, (D-6).

Boeing is already producing 12 of the latest Chinooks for the Egyptian Air Force worth $426 million.

There are about 450 Chinooks in the U.S. Army inventory. The plan is to have them all go through the Ridley Park plant for upgrades to the Block II model over the next 12 to 14 years.

Read more about Boeing’s Block II Chinook contract at Philadelphia Business Journal.

Find out how CH-47 Chinooks are used to extract special forces troops.