Page 22 - AirForces - Monthly (February 2020)

NEWS Latin America

In Brief Second Cayman Police H145 delivered

Retired Argentine
Air Force F28 returns A SECOND H145 has joined
The Argentine Air Force’s the Royal Cayman Island
Fokker F28-1000C TC-52 Police Service (RCIPS)
(c/n 1074) took to the fleet at Owen Roberts
air again on December International Airport, George
23, after being restored Town, Grand Cayman. The
to airworthiness by helicopter, VP-CPS (c/n
the Fábrica Argentina 20241, ex N563AH), arrived
de Aviones (FAdeA) on the island on December
and personnel from 6 to join the RCIPS Air
Grupo Técnico 1. The Operations Unit’s first
Fellowship had last flown example, VP-CAO, which
on August 31, 2018. was delivered last March (see The Royal Cayman Island Police Service H145s, VP-CAO and newly delivered VP-CPS (left),
Support for Cayman Island Police H145 outside the main RCIPS base at Owen Roberts International Airport, George Town, Grand
Argentine P-3Cs delivered, May 2019, p22). Cayman. RCIPS
US State Department The new arrival replaces
officials have approved an EC135T1, which was also will increase Cayman’s or when the aircraft is being
a possible US$78m registered VP-CPS, but was capability to carry out maintained in the US. Taiwan
Foreign Military Sale to involved in a heavy landing on search and rescue, law Both aircraft will be
Argentina of equipment, February 26, 2019, following enforcement and border fitted with state-of-the- donates
support and services for engine failure on take-off protection operations. art surveillance systems,
the country’s purchase of (see Attrition, May 2019, Both aircraft will support weather and SAR radar and more
four P-3Cs. Included are p89). It had been intended disaster relief efforts and will winching capability, with UH-1Hs to
the four T56 turboprops to repair the airframe, but also be available to assist work on these modifications
on each airframe (plus an damage was such that this other overseas territories due to commence in early Paraguay
additional four engines), was abandoned and it was during times of crises. The 2020. All operational crews
together with radar and transported to Arrow Aviation delivery will also mean that will be undertaking the
infrared/electro-optical in Broussard, Louisiana, to the Cayman Islands will no required training for the new TAIWAN GIFTED another
equipment. Argentina be stripped for spares. longer be without air cover equipment over the next three AIDC/Bell UH-1Hs
has acquired four P-3Cs Arrival of the new helicopter during these deployments six months. Dave Allport to Paraguay on November
as Excess Defense 28. The ‘Hueys’ are now
Articles aircraft to Brazilian Air Force KC-390 milestones being fully overhauled
replace its older P-3As. and brought back to zero-
Colombian Army flight-hours status in
to add helicopter of the testing campaign Tainan and will be delivered
training facilities included: sequential aerial to the South American
The Colombian Army has delivery by extraction with country early this year.
outlined plans to develop up to four platforms in one The donation includes two
an advanced helicopter pass; airdrop by extraction years of free maintenance.
training facility and a using two 28ft (8.5m) Last August 8 the Fuerza
high-altitude landing and extraction parachutes with Aérea Paraguaya (FAP,
operations centre. The aim autopilot engaged; and Paraguayan Air Force)
is to have an international continuously computed received two more UH-1Hs
and regional rotary drop point (CCDP) system from Taiwan – the 12th and
aviation training centre up successfully tested for both 13th examples donated
and running at Tolemaida gravity and extraction airdrop. by the Republic of China
by 2025. The high- Brazilian Air Force personnel stand in front of the air arm’s In other KC-390 news, the Army since 1996.
altitude training facility second KC-390, FAB 2854, which was delivered on December FAB received its second All of the FAP’s Iroquois
would be established 13. FAB via Dave Allport Millennium, FAB 2854, which have been donated by the
at Sogamoso, Boyacá. was delivered on December Republic of China, with
Peruvian Police THE EMBRAER KC-390 (FAB, Brazilian Air Force) 13 from Embraer’s facility at previous deliveries taking
An-178 delivery in 2021 airlifter successfully and the Brazilian Army Gavião Peixoto to Base Aérea place in October 1996,
Antonov is making concluded an airdrop – were performed at the Anápolis, where it joined join March 2001, March 2006
progress on the single testing campaign recently. US Army’s Yuma Proving Ala 2’s 1º Grupo de Transporte and April 2007, respectively.
An-178 ordered for The trials involved gravity Ground facilities, in Arizona. de Tropa (1° GTT, 1st Troop Attrition losses have
Peru’s Ministry of airdrop and extraction drop Major achievements of the Transport Group) ‘Grupo occurred on April 1, 1998
Interior. According to the of heavy loads using the campaign included the Kilo’. Deliveries of the 28 FAB and October 3, 2010, with
company, production of container delivery system airdrop of a single maximum KC-390s on order for the FAB three injuries resulting
the wing outer sections (CDS) and low-velocity platform of 19 tonnes as started last September (see from the latter incident.
is complete, and the tail airdrop (LVAD), respectively. well as the sequential aerial Embraer delivers initial KC-390 The most recent loss of a
unit is 98% finished. More The tests – conducted by delivery of two platforms to Brazil, October 2019, p22), Paraguayan ‘Huey’ was last
than 70% of components Embraer in co-operation with weighing 24 tonnes in total. with the handover of serial November 21 while a likely
for the fuselage have the Força Aérea Brasileira Additional achievements FAB 2853 (c/n 39000004). write-off also occurred
been fabricated and on March 15, 2016.
the airframe should be
completed this year,
with delivery to the
customer in 2021.
Right: Throughout the 2019
airdrop campaign, the KC-390
delivered several containers
by gravity with up to 24 of One of the latest batch of
them dropped in one pass, former Republic of China
as well as multiple Type V Army UH-1Hs donated by
platforms using extraction Taiwan to Paraguay seen at
parachutes, with a total its handover ceremony in
combined payload of 330 Tainan. Paraguayan MoD
tonnes. Embraer

22 // February 2020 #383 www.Key.Aero

06/01/2020 14:29:12
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22-23 LatinAusNews AFM Feb2020.indd 22 06/01/2020 14:29:12