Airforces

20 // JANUARY 2018 #358 http://www.airforcesmonthly.com

NEWS Latin America

C-27J FAP-332 takes off

from Turin-Caselle for a

test fl ight on November 11.

Marco Rossi

Uruguay

eyes

Pampa

purchase

THE URUGUAYAN Air

Force (FAU) recently

sent a delegation of

officers to Argentina to

visit several air bases to

evaluate the capabilities

of the IA-63 Pampa III

advanced trainer.

The FAU requires eight

to 12 jets to replace the

A-37, and possibly the

now-retired Pucará, which

would unify Escuadrón 1

and 2 into a single fighter/

attack unit. In August

2016, FAU pilots visited

China to evaluate and fly

the Hongdu L-15B lead-

in fighter trainer (LIFT).

In addition to a potential

sale of the Pampa III to

Uruguay, talks are also

being held with Bolivia,

Paraguay and South

Africa’s Paramount

Group. Juan Carlos

Cicalesi & Ernesto

Blanco Calcagno

Two Bell 212s from Escuadrón Aéreo No 5 (Air Squadron

No 5) have been based at Bukavu Aerodrome since 2010.

Serving alongside FAU 033 since December 2005 is FAU 032

(UN 851, c/n 30899, ex N102PH). FAU

Uruguayan Bell 212

hit by small arms fi re

in the Congo

A FUERZA Aérea

Uruguaya (FAU, Uruguayan

Air Force) Bell 212 was

hit by small arms fire

over the Democratic

Republic of Congo on

November 23, 2017.

The helicopter had been

carrying out a routine

mission in North Kivu

Province. Serial FAU

033 (UN 807, c/n 31135)

has been in service since

December 2005 and is

assigned to the Uruguayan

Aviation Unit (URUAVU)

contingent attached
to the United Nations
Organisation Stabilization
Mission in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo
(MONUSCO). Reports
suggest that one of the
main rotor blades was hit.
The aircraft managed to
return safely to its base,
Bukavu Aerodrome in
South Kivu Province, 15
miles (25km) north of the
town of Bukavu in the east
of the country. Ernesto
Blanco Calcagno
Above: A-37B serial FAU 279 (43304, c/n 70-1289) operates from Ruta Nacional No 9. Gerardo Tajes

Uruguayan Dragonfl ies on the road

THE FUERZA Aérea
Uruguaya (FAU, Uruguayan
Air Force) undertook its
annual highway deployment
from November 6-10, 2017.
A-37Bs operated from Ruta
Nacional No 9 (National
Road No 9) that runs parallel
to the Atlantic Ocean in the
eastern province of Rocha,
close to the Brazilian border.
The Dragonflies are
attached to the Escuadrón
Aéreo No 2 (Caza) (Air
Squadron No 2 [Fighter])
based at Tte 2do Mario
Walter Parallada Air Base,
Brigada Aérea No 2 (Air
Brigade No 2) located near

Durazno in central Uruguay.

The selected aircraft were

FAU 279 (43304, c/n

70-1289) and FAU 282

(43267, c/n 69-6422).

Ten Dragonfly pilots took

part, alongside another

ten officers and 30 non-

commissioned officers.

Transport of equipment

and personnel was

provided by an FAU C

from Escuadrón Aéreo No

3 (Transporte). Liaison

duties were carried out

by a Cessna 206H from

Brigada Aérea No 3.

Three sorties of

approximately one hour

each were flown each day,

for a total of 30 hours.

Simulated attacks and close

air support missions were

conducted alongside the

Ejército Nacional Uruguayo

(Uruguayan National Army).

Air interceptions and air

combat manoeuvring

involved Dragonfly versus

Dragonfly. Search and

rescue (SAR) and combat

SAR (CSAR) support was

provided by the FAU’s

Escuadrón Aéreo No

5 (Helicópteros) with a

Bell 212 (FAU 030) and

UH-1H (FAU 059).

Ernesto Blanco Calcagno

Final Peruvian Spartan delivery

THE FOURTH and final

C-27J for the Fuerza Aérea

del Perú (FAP, Peruvian Air

Force) began its delivery

flight on December 3.

Serial FAP-332 departed

Turin-Caselle Airport for

Keflavík, Iceland, before

routing via Canada and

the United States. It was

expected to arrive at its

final destination, Jorge

Chávez International Airport

in Lima, on December 5.

The first two FAP

Spartans were ordered

under a contract signed in

December 2013 and the

other two in December

the following year. The

overall contract is

worth around $240m.

The last aircraft

performed a first flight

on November 9, 2017.

While under test in Italy,

the aircraft wore the

experimental registration

CSX62305 and the

markings of Grupo Aéreo

de Transporte 8 (based at

Callao) on the tail. The FAP

uses the type for cargo

and passenger transport,

search and rescue (SAR)

and humanitarian relief

missions. Depending

on budget allocation,

a contract for a further

eight aircraft is possible.