 On 6 June 1999 , two Chinooks of No. 27 Squadron left base at RAF Odiham in Hampshire , carrying paratroopers to join NATO forces serving in the Balkans ; six more arrived the following week in Kosovo to support operations such as casualty evacuations and transporting vital supplies . On 12 June 1999 , waves of Chinooks , escorted by Westland Lynx and American AH @-@ 64 Apache attack helicopters , were used to rapidly deploy British infantry forces into Kosovo as a part of NATO 's first phase of deployment . On 10 August 1999 hundreds of Chinooks around the world , including those used by the British armed forces , were grounded due to cracking discovered in the landing gear of a British helicopter during routine inspection . 
