Boeing CH-47 Chinook fires, and supporting petroleum extraction operations. In December 2006, Columbia Helicopters Inc purchased the type certificate of the Model 234 from Boeing. The Chinook has also been licensed to be built by companies outside the United States, such as Elicotteri Meridionali (now AgustaWestland) in Italy and Kawasaki in Japan. The Army finally settled on the larger Chinook as its standard medium-transport helicopter, and as of February 1966, 161 aircraft had been delivered to the Army. The 1st Cavalry Division had brought its organic Chinook battalion when it arrived in 1965 and a separate aviation medium helicopter company, the 147th, had
Boeing Chinook (UK variants) such as the AgustaWestland Merlin HC.3 of the Royal Navy's Commando Helicopter Force and the RAF's Westland Puma HC.2, based at RNAS Yeovilton and RAF Benson. The RAF has a total of 60 active Chinooks in inventory as of 2015. In 2018 the UK issued a request to the United States to purchase 16 additional aircraft. The Chinook is expected to remain in RAF service until the 2040s. In March 1967 an order was placed for fifteen Chinook HC Mk1s, standing for "Helicopter, Cargo Mark 1", for the Royal Air Force to replace the Bristol Belvedere. This original MK1 variant