AirForces Monthly – June 2018

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http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #363 JUNE 2018 // 19

Colombia completing Tucano upgrade

THE CORPORACIÓN de

la Industria Aeronáutica

Colombiana (CIAC,

Colombian Aviation

Industry Corporation) is

finishing upgrade work

on the T-27 (EMB-312)

Tucano fleet of the Fuerza

Aérea Colombiana (FAC,

Colombian Air Force).

CIAC has upgraded 14

FAC Tucanos to T-27M

standard. The last two to

be modernised, FAC 2256

and 2263, were noted

at Madrid, Colombia, in

early April. They will be

redelivered to the air force

by the end of the year.

The aircraft features

new avionics including a

Cobham digital cockpit

with twin multifunction

displays, Collins navigation/

communications systems,

structural improvements,

as well as new wings

and undercarriage from

Embraer, hydraulics,

electrical systems and

environmental control

systems. The engine is

also overhauled. The

wings are wired for

weapons carriage for

weapons training and a

limited light attack role.

In 2015 CIAC received

certification from Embraer

to modernise the EMB-

Tucano. Work is carried

out after the T-27 exceeds

80,000 hours of flight

and the modernisation

extends service life

by 15 years. The

modification programme

takes approximately six

months and utilises a

team of 30 personnel.

Serial 2263, one of the

last FAC T-27s to undergo

upgrade to T-27M standard,

is seen at CIAC facilities.

Ian French

New H125 for

Argentina’s

Misiones

Police

THE GOVERNMENT of

the Argentine province of

Misiones, in the northeast

of the country, has

unveiled a new helicopter

acquired for the local

police. Airbus H

LQ-HHQ was refurbished

by Metro Aviation and has

begun operations with the

Aeronautical Directorate.

The helicopter cost around

$4m. It is equipped with

an observation turret that

includes a thermal imager,

CCD daylight TV camera

with a powerful zoom

lens, spotter TV camera

and video auto-tracker.

Juan Carlos Cicalesi

Policía Federal Argentina

Mexico

mulls Pampa

production

ARGENTINA AND

Mexico have signed

an agreement on the

possible co-manufacture

of the IA-63 Pampa III.

A letter of intent was

signed by manufacturer

Fábrica Argentina de

Aviones (FAdeA) and

Mexico’s SEDENA

(Secretaría de la Defensa

Nacional, Secretariat

of National Defence).

Mexican authorities will

soon visit FAdeA facilities

in Córdoba to see the

Pampa production line.

Juan Carlos Cicalesi

Argentine

Federal Police

adds H

THE PURCHASE of

another new helicopter

for the Cuerpo Federal

de Aviación (Federal

Aviation Corps) of the

Policía Federal Argentina

(PFA, Argentine Federal

Police) was confirmed at

the FIDAE 2018 airshow

in Santiago, Chile. The

Airbus H145T3 (pictured

right) was due to arrive

as AFM went to press

and will complement two

previous H145s in the

police fleet. Earlier this

year the PFA received a

new H155 helicopter (see

New H155 for Argentine

Federal Police, May, p18).

Juan Carlos Cicalesi

THE SOLE Fuerza Aérea

Mexicana (FAM, Mexican

Air Force) Boeing 787-

arrived at Amsterdam

Airport Schiphol on April

23, bringing the Mexican

President Enrique Peña Nieto

to the Netherlands for a state

visit. Boeing 787-8 TP-

(XC-MEX) flew to Hannover

on April 21 before heading to

Schiphol. On both occasions

it used the callsign ‘FAM 1’.

The aircraft’s operating unit

is the Coordinación General

de Transportes Aéreos

Presidenciales (CGTAP) at

Estacion Aérea Militar 1/

Benito Juárez International

Airport in Mexico City.

Mexican Air Force

Dreamliner in Europe

Manolito Jaarsma