Boeing CH-47 Chinook the CH-47 have been developed since the helicopter entered service. The U.S. Army's first major design leap was the now-common CH-47D, which entered service in 1982. Improvements from the CH-47C included upgraded engines, composite rotor blades, a redesigned cockpit to reduce pilot workload, improved and redundant electrical systems, an advanced flight control system, and improved avionics. The latest mainstream generation is the CH-47F, which features several major upgrades to reduce maintenance, digitized flight controls, and is powered by two 4,733-horsepower Honeywell engines. A commercial model of the Chinook, the Boeing-Vertol Model 234, is used worldwide for logging, construction, fighting forest
450 Tactical Helicopter Squadron (Uplands) in May 1970 and the squadron received Royal Assent for the designation 450 Transport Helicopter Squadron on May 20, 1970. On August 1, 1991, the squadron was re-designated 450 Composite Helicopter Squadron. This was followed by another name change on April 1, 1993, when the squadron became 450 Tactical Helicopter Squadron. In August the following year, 450 Tactical Helicopter Squadron was transferred back to 1 Wing at St. Hubert. 450 Squadron was deactivated in 1996 before being officially disbanded on January 1, 1998. On May 2, 2012, the squadron was re-established to operate the CH-147F Chinook helicopters of the