Army is reinvesting in Chinook helicopters manufactured in Delco, protecting union jobs and creating new ones long-term
Senator, Congresswoman have long worked to keep Ridley Park plant open
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and U.S. Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-5) announced that, after years of pushing the U.S. Army to follow through on its decision to modernize its fleet of Ridley Park-made heavy lift helicopters, the Army will renew and extend production of its Chinook fleet, saving approximately 4,000 existing jobs and creating new good-paying union jobs in Delaware County. Boeing’s plant in Ridley Park has employed generations of Delco workers creating world-class Chinook helicopters that are critical to U.S. military operations around the world.
“The people of Delaware County have served their country for generations by manufacturing the Army’s sole heavy lift helicopter,” said Senator Casey. “I have fought for Ridley Park for my entire career in the Senate, particularly when the previous Administration left the facility and its workers out to dry in 2019. The Army’s renewed commitment to manufacturing Chinooks in Delco means that good-paying union jobs are here to stay in Southeastern Pennsylvania.”
“I am thrilled to announce the Army's decision to recommit to Chinook modernization. This decision guarantees over 20 years of production at Boeing's Ridley Park facility, supporting thousands of good-paying jobs in our region as well as our national security,” said Rep. Scanlon. “For decades, Chinook production has been a critical regional economic engine, with multiple generations of families working at the Ridley Park facility. With this decision, that tradition will continue. Since coming to Congress, I have worked to find the path forward for the Chinook, and I’m proud to deliver job stability for the men and women of the UAW 1069 who build the Chinook.”
“We thank Congresswoman Scanlon, Senator Casey, and their staff for all their hard work,” said UAW Local 1069 Committeeman James Rugh. “This is huge for Boeing Ridley Park. This decision helps secure the future of our hard-working UAW 1069 Brothers and Sisters.”
“There is nothing more important to us than supporting the warfighter,” said Kathleen (KJ) Jolivette, Vice President and General Manager, Vertical Lift, Boeing. “The Army’s decision is a reflection of their confidence in our heavy-lift platform and is a testament to the great work our teammates do each and every day. We are thankful for the strong congressional support from across the Delaware Valley region and indeed across the country, and we are excited for the future of Chinook.”
Dating back to 2007, Senator Casey has advocated to the Army on behalf of the thousands of workers and the world-class defense manufacturing facilities at Ridley Park. Rep. Scanlon has done the same since coming to Congress in 2019. The Members have led bipartisan, bicameral efforts to work with the Army and President Biden to reverse the Trump Administration's decision to cut Chinook modernization, which took a step backward on a mission-critical capability, hurt readiness, and left workers fearing for their livelihoods for five years.
After the Army reneged on its plans to modernize its fleet of 425 Chinooks in 2019, Casey and Scanlon led congressional efforts to keep the critical industrial base asset of the Ridley Park facility alive and fully fund Block II production. Over the past four years, they secured nearly $1 billion for continued Chinook procurement (see funding for fiscal years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023). In March 2023, the first Block II Chinook came off the assembly line in Ridley Park. Their efforts to secure consistent funding over the last several years to modernize Chinook helicopters have helped the facility and the supplier base survive and remain in a position ready to ramp up production.
In November 2023, Casey and Scanlon led more than 30 members of Congress on a bipartisan, bicameral letter advocating to the Army to proceed with Chinook modernization. The Army’s decision to formally move the Chinook CH-47F Block II into production, with a future path to full rate production, will bring critical capabilities to the Army and save a key component of the defense industrial base and the jobs it provides in Southeastern Pennsylvania.
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