Page 77 - HeliOps Frontline Issue 26

HELIOPS FRONTLINE / ISSUE 26 / 2019 77

A combined Special
Forces team,
consisting of army, air
force and naval forces,
jump from a Puma
Naval at an altitude
of 8000 feet and at a
airspeed of 80 knots.

followed, the first helicopter – type designation IAR 330L – flew. In
the ‘90s, an upgrade of a few helicopters to support and anti-tank
version followed. In cooperation with Israeli Elbit Systems, twenty-
five L-version helicopters were converted to Sistem Optronic de
Cercetare Antii Anti-Tanc (Optical-Electronic Reconnaissance and
Anti Armour System), in short SOCAT. Between 2005 and 2008,
twelve helicopters were modernized to IAR 330M, an unarmed
transport version of the SOCAT.
In 2006, a program was started to acquire three naval
helicopters to operate from the two frigates that Romania bought
from England. Commander Marius Mitric: ‘The Romanian Navy
decided to develop a maritime version of the Puma due to the
knowledge of the IAR-330 gained through the Forțele Aeriene
Române, instead of buying an existing, “of the shelf” naval
helicopter. In particular the airforces positive experiences with
regard to maintenance and the large stock of spare parts in
Romania contributed to the decision to let IAR Brașov develop a
new, maritime version of the IAR 330: the Puma Naval.’
The core of the Puma Naval is a classic Puma. Mitric: ‘The
airframe has been upgraded with everything we need to execute