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http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #354 SEPTEMBER 2017 // 75

Ukrainian Albatros additions

Above: L-39C ‘72 Blue’ (c/n 934658) of 7 brTA, Ukraine’s sole Su-24 unit, during a training flight over its home base

of Starokostyantyniv in August 2012. Together with ‘71 Blue’, this aircraft was delivered to the unit fresh from

overhaul in Odessa on June 26 that year. These were the first L-39s to sport the (now standard) grey ‘digital’

camouflage. This year, 7 brTA received two new L-39M1s (also identical ‘71 Blue’ and ‘72 Blue’) from Odessa as

replacements. The older aircraft were likely transferred to another unit, probably to 203 navbr at Chuhuyiv, which

also received 7 brTA’s L-39C ‘73 Blue’. Nick Cross

The feature on Ukrainian L-39s

in the July issue includes some

erroneous information. It

mentions that Ukraine entered

co-operation with IAI Lahav.

However, collaboration with

Israeli industry was actually

a joint venture involving the

overhaul plant at Odessa and

was not endorsed by (nor aimed

at) the Ukrainian Air Force.

The Ukrainian modernisation

programme is alive and well –

the Odessa facility still turns out

both L-39M1s and L-39Ms (note

there are no M2 or M3 variants

as mentioned in the text). By

my count, 14 upgraded jets have

been delivered to date (not eight

• as reported in the text – and
  two of these are L-39Ms). The
  latest L-39M1 was delivered
  this spring. The 14 aircraft
  include the three (not four)
  impounded by Russia in Crimea
  in 2014, which remain there.
  I have, as yet, unconfirmed
  information suggesting frontline
  units will start (or are perhaps
  already in the process of)
  transferring their operational
  L-39Cs to the training brigade

at Chuhuyiv, indicating that

these will soon be replaced

by new L-39M/M1 aircraft.

The photo in the article

actually shows one of the

modernised L-39M1s (‘80 Blue’

of 299 brTA), not an L-39C.

The L-39M1 and especially the

more advanced L-39M have

a few distinguishing features

compared with the standard

L-39C. Ukraine’s MiG-29 experts,

in the April 2017 issue, provides

all the basic information on

Ukraine’s modernised L-39s.

Vladimir Trendafilovski

Chilean

Dauphin

upgrade – not

a done deal

I would like to add some

detail to the news piece in

the June issue (p21) about

the modernisation of the

Chilean Navy’s SA365 Dauphin

II fleet. The report seems

to be based on declarations

made by Helibras (Airbus

Helicopters’ Brazilian

subsidiary) during the last

LAAD show. Contrary to what

is stated, the Chilean Navy

has not yet signed a contract

to modernise its SA365s.

The Chilean Navy has plans

to upgrade its Dauphin II fleet,

but it is unlikely that such a

contract will be signed this year.

The upgrade will be

conducted in phases and

batches. This is not because

of budgetary constraints,

but because there are two

different groups of machines

in the fleet (the Argentine

Coast Guard will follow

the same programme).

The priority for upgrade will

be the four former Irish Air

Corps SA365F1s acquired in

2008, which are heavier and

underpowered (the reason

for their retirement from

Irish service). The addition

of a new, more powerful

engine is badly needed. This

said, these machines have

served the Chilean Navy

well, and have been carefully

operated within their limits.

The other four SA365Ns

in Chilean Navy service

are lighter and have more

powerful engines, so their

upgrade is less urgent.

José Higuera

Italian

firefighters

explained

In the May issue (Feedback,

p94) Carlo Cervi writes that

Italian CL-415s from Italy’s

Corpo Forestale dello Stato

operated in Israel late last year.

It should be pointed out that

the Corpo Forestale dello Stato

only operated the CL-215, and

this in the period 1982-84. The

Canadairs were then passed

on to the Italian Air Force, and

later to the Protezione Civile

(Civil Protection). The CL-415s

were acquired by the Italian

Protezione Civile starting in

1995. The CL-415s were in turn
      passed from the Protezione
      Civile to the Vigili del Fuoco
      (Firefighting Corps) in 2013.
      Riccardo Niccoli

Ian Carroll of AirForces Intelligence

provides two corrections to

news items that appeared

in the July issue. On p11, the

Royal Netherlands Air Force

CH-47F contract is not for

15 helicopters, but for an

unspecified number from US

Army Production Lot 15. On p12,

the Spanish Tigre is not 10065,

but 10068. The number is visible

in the front cockpit window.

In the August issue, the correct

location for Al Udeid is, of course

Qatar, and not the United Arab

Emirates (BALTOPS bombers, p87).

Above: Two earlier examples of the Spanish Army Aviation Tigre. HA.28-01 ET-701 was delivered to the Fuerzas

Aeromóviles (FAMET, Army Air Mobile Forces) as a Tigre HAP in December 2005. Another HAP model, HA.28-05 ET-705

was handed over to FAMET in September 2008. Operating unit is Batallón de Helicópteros de Ataque I (BHELA I, Attack

Helicopter Battalion 1) at Ciudad Real-Almagro. Salvador Mafé Huertas

CORRECTIONS