THE first of the RAF's 14 new Chinook helicopters were unveiled by defence secretary Philip Hammond on Monday. During a visit to RAF Odiham, the home of the Chinook force, Mr Hammond also announced a new £115m agreement with Boeing Defence UK to maintain the engines of the RAF's increased fleet of 60 Chinooks – a deal that he claimed would save taxpayers' money. By replacing five existing support contracts with one arrangement, the MoD has reduced the cost of overhauling engines by more than £20m. For full story, see this week's Alton Herald.