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The Anzac Hall, scheduled for opening in 2025, will feature a Chinook damaged during a 2009 Special Forces operation, Memorial chair Kim Beazley has confirmed.
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According to the Australian War Memorial, the CH-47D Chinook A15-202 was one of the first two Chinooks deployed to Afghanistan in 2006, completing three rotations and was in service with the 5th Aviation Regiment between 2000 and 2016.
The Australian Defence Force deployed eight of the helicopters to the country between 2006 and 2013.
The Chinook is expected to be featured in the new Anzac Hall, alongside the G for George Lancaster bomber.
“The story of this Chinook is central to our new galleries and the stories of our modern veterans,” Beazley said.
“This aircraft is a tribute to all those who flew and maintained Australian Chinooks in Afghanistan.”
The upcoming galley was developed following consultation with Afghanistan veterans, head of military history at the Australian War Memorial Dr Karl James said.
“We have spoken to over 100 Chinook Afghanistan veterans during the course of developing this centrepiece exhibition for our new galleries.”
“Chinooks had a crew of five. In Afghanistan, each Australian Chinook could carry around 22 people as passengers or lift 12,000 kilograms of cargo. This was the equivalent of carrying a group of fully armed Special Forces operators or a Special Forces vehicle in the interior cargo bay.
“A Chinook could alternatively carry a shipping container full of supplies and equipment or even a Black Hawk helicopter slung underneath.”
