Airforces - Typhoon school

(Jacob Rumans) #1
http://www.airforcesmonthly.com

NEWS


18 // APRIL 2018 #


Latin America


Brazil purchases


HMS Ocean
THE BRAZILIAN
Ministry of Defence has
confirmed its purchase
of the former Royal Navy
amphibious assault ship
HMS Ocean (L12) at a
reported cost of £84m.
Its transfer had long
been rumoured, and the
agreement was signed on
February 19 in Plymouth,
UK, by Director General
of Marine Material,
Admiral Luiz Henrique
Caroli, representing
the Brazilian Navy, and
officials from the UK
Ministry of Defence.
Ocean was
commissioned into the
Royal Navy in 1998 and
served as a helicopter
carrier and assault
ship embarking Royal
Marines. The service’s
flagship, it also took
part in humanitarian
missions, most recently
last September when
it assisted Caribbean
populations in the wake
of Hurricane Irma.
According to a Brazilian
Navy statement, the ship
“will be employed in
helicopter air operations,
amphibious operations
with marine troops and
maritime area control

missions to protect
maritime lines of
supply. It will also carry
out logistical support
activities for humanitarian
assistance, assistance
to natural disaster
areas and support for
peacekeeping operations.”
Commissioning of the
vessel into Brazilian Navy
service will take place on
June 29, and its transfer
process is expected to
be completed by the end
of July, the ship arriving
in Brazil in August.
Until then, the Brazilian
crew will follow training
courses with the Royal
Navy and industry,
including Babcock and
BAE Systems. The
ship will also carry out
maintenance and dockage
services in a British
shipyard prior to handover.
The Brazilian Navy says
the ship is able to operate
up to seven aircraft on its
flight deck simultaneously,
including all types of
helicopters currently
in its service – SH-
Seahawk, UH-15A/B
Cougar, AH-11B Lynx,
UH-12/13 Squirrel,
IH-6B JetRanger III and
UH-14 Super Puma.

Anápolis to be fi rst FAB KC-390 base


Above: Embraer KC-390 PT-ZNF is the fi rst of two prototypes. The FAB has stated a requirement for up to 28 of the type. Sgt Batista/FAB


ANÁPOLIS HAS been
selected as the first base to
receive the new Força Aérea
Brasileira (FAB, Brazilian
Air Force) KC-390 military
transport. The decision
was announced by Tenente-


Brigadeiro do Ar Antonio
Carlos Egito do Amaral,
head of the Comando
de Preparo (COMPREP,
Preparation Command),
during a ceremony at the
base on January 30.

The first two KC-390s
are scheduled to be
delivered in the latter
part of this year to Ala 2
(2 Wing) at Anápolis.
In related news, the FAB
is relocating 1° Esquadrão

do 7° Grupo de Aviação
(1°/7° GAV), Esquadrão
‘Orungan’, from Ala 14 at
Salvador (Bahia state) to
Ala 12 in Santa Cruz (State
of Rio de Janeiro). The
squadron, which operates

nine P-3AM Orions, made
the move on January 29
to improve maintenance
and training, reduce costs,
and to aid co-operation
with the Brazilian
Navy. Dave Allport

Argentine Bell 412EPs arrive


THE FUERZA Aérea
Argentina (FAA, Argentine
Air Force) staged an
official presentation for
its four recently acquired
Bell 412EP helicopters
on February 21. The
ceremony, on the military
side of Aeroparque
Jorge Newbery, Buenos
Aires, was led by FAA
chief of staff Brigadier
Enrique Amrein.
The four are unsold
helicopters built in 2014.
The first was officially


delivered to the FAA on
December 11 last year at a
ceremony at Bell’s facility
in Fort Worth, Texas.
They were transported to
Argentina aboard a Boeing
747 in late January 2018
and reassembled by the
Área de Material Quilmes
(ARMAQUIL) in Buenos
Aires. After test flights, they
transferred to their home
base at the VII Brigada
Aérea, joining the Bell
212IFR/IDF and Bell 412
rotorcraft of I Escuadrón

Búsqueda y Salvamento.
The serials are: H-
(c/n 36682), H-104 (c/n
36683), H-105 (c/n 36684)
and H-106 (c/n 36686).
US Congress was notified
of a possible Foreign
Military Sale of four Bell
412EPs in November


  1. Last June, Bell
    Helicopter Textron received
    a $27m contract for four
    helicopters. A contract for
    four more Bell 412EPs was
    awarded in December last
    year. Esteban G Brea


Esteban G Brea
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