US army grounds Chinook Helicopter Fleet amid engine fire concerns
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The grounding comes after a "small number" of engine fires were reported.
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US Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter. A US Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter. Photographer: (Roni Rekomaa/Bloomberg)
The US Army has grounded its entire fleet of Chinook helicopters due to engine fire concerns, according to US Army Spokesperson Cynthia Smith in a statement to Sputnik.
"The Army has identified the root cause of fuel leaks that caused a small number of engine fires among an isolated number of H-47 [Chinook] helicopters and is implementing corrective measures to resolve this issue," Smith said on Tuesday.
"Based on the results of our investigation some aircraft may not require corrective measures and may soon return to normal flight operations. While no deaths or injuries occurred, the Army temporarily grounded the H-47 fleet out of an abundance of caution, until those corrective actions are complete."
Individuals with knowledge of the situation reported that the US Army Materiel Command decided to ground the fleet out of caution while inspecting over 70 helicopters that include a part suspected of being involved in the problem, according to US media.
The Boeing Chinook is a heavy-lift helicopter that is primarily utilized for transporting troops and equipment. Since the 1960s, variants of helicopters have been deployed by the US military and other armed forces around the world.
The grounding coincides with the suspension of a number of military drills due to the depleted US weaponry arsenal. The war in Ukraine has reduced US military inventories of certain types of ammunition, as the US continues to supply Kiev with billions of dollars worth of weaponry, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). On its part, the US Department of Defense has been hesitant to replenish its arsenal, raising fears among US officials that the shortfall might undermine military readiness.
According to the WSJ, citing defense sources, the US has armed Ukraine with 16 HIMARS rocket launchers, hundreds of drones, missiles, and other weapons during the previous six months, a large portion of which, including the ammunition, has come directly from US inventories, depleting supplies intended for unforeseen threats.
In another context, this year, US military aircraft have been involved in a number of crash accidents that left several soldiers dead.
On June 9, a US military plane carrying five Marines crashed in southern California, according to a spokesperson.
There was no information on deaths immediately, but the military disputed claims that the plane was transporting radioactive material when it crashed near Glamis, about 20 miles (35 kilometers) from the Mexican border.
In March, Sputnik reported that a US military plane, Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey Tilt-Rotor Military Aircraft, crashed in Nordland, northern Norway late Friday with four people on board.
Local police announced that all four people died in the crash.
On January 25, a US Navy F35C Lightning II combat jet, which was conducting exercises in the South China Sea, crashed in an attempt to land on the US craft carrier's deck. The event resulted in the injury of 7 sailors.
