Germany to send WS-61 Westland Sea King helicopters to Ukraine
Germany has committed to sending Ukraine six of its 21 retiring WS-61 Westland Sea King multirole, amphibious helicopters.
Lithuania assigns AS365 N3+ for SAR
Three new AS365 N3+ helicopters have now entered service with the Lithuanian armed forces, Airbus Helicopters announced on 15 January.
The aircraft have been assigned to 24/7 Search and Rescue (SAR) operations across the country. They are equipped for SAR missions with search lights, forward looking infrared (FLIR), hailer, radar, stretchers and hoist. They also feature 4-axis autopilot with SAR modes and full glass cockpit.
The helicopters were delivered in June, September and December 2015 and started missions on 11 January.
Rescue workers, air force pilots and technicians have undergone a full training programme that included training on a full flight simulator.
Col Audronis Navickas, Air Force Commander, said: ‘The acquisition of the AS365 N3+ contributes to the modernisation of our fleet. We have already flown the aircraft for more than 200 hours in pilot training operations including specific SAR missions and we are sure that the up-to-date capabilities of this helicopter will allow us to perform all the different types of search and rescue missions that we must be able to execute.’
Mickael Peru, vice president head of Central Europe, Airbus Helicopters, said: ‘We are committed to providing customer satisfaction and these AS365 N3+ helicopters have been delivered with a three-year full warranty and a commitment to an 80% availability rate. The spare parts have been delivered and Airbus Helicopters’ technical assistance is in place to ensure the aircraft’s smooth entry into service.’
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