Airforces - Typhoon school

Subscribe to http://www.airforcesmonthly.com

for breaking news stories. E-mail the news team

at [email protected]

http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #361 APRIL 2018 // 19

THESE ELBIT Systems

Hermes 450 and 900

unmanned aerial vehicles

(UAVs) operated by the

Fuerza Aérea Colombiana

(FAC, Colombian Air

Force) were seen recently

at their Apiay base.

The FAC announced the

acquisition of two Hermes

450 (six air vehicles) and

a single Hermes 900

systems (two air vehicles)

in 2012 in a deal reportedly

valued at around $50m.

They are operated by the

Escuadrón de Combate 217

‘Quimera’, part of Grupo

de Combate 21, under

the Comando Aéreo de

Combate No 2 (CACOM 2).

Although based at Apiay

in central Colombia, the

systems can operate with

minimal infrastructure

and support and can be

deployed across the country.

A team of eight operates

each system, including

two ground pilots and

maintenance technicians.

The Colombians use

the UAVs for surveillance

missions as well as close

air support, and the

Hermes 450 can carry

external weapons and

electronic warfare systems.

‘Homeland’ missions

are meanwhile carried

out to locate leaders of

criminal gangs and illegal

armed groups. Erich

Saumeth Cadavid

Colombian drones on show

Above: Serial FAC 6155, one of six Hermes 450 air vehicles in Colombian service. Erich Saumeth Cadavid

Below: Serial FAC 6101, one of two Hermes 900s on strength; the other is FAC 6102. Erich Saumeth Cadavid

New aircraft

for Jamaica

Defence

Force

JAMAICA’S MINISTRY of

National Security (MNS)

announced on January

10 that the Jamaica

Defence Force (JDF) is

to purchase additional

equipment, including

six helicopters and four

fixed-wing aircraft.

The helicopters are

three new Bell 429s for

passenger, troop transport

and medical evacuation;

one new Bell 412EPI for

heavy cargo and troop

transport; and two second-

hand Bell 206B3s for

training. The JetRangers,

plus four Diamond

DA40CS trainers, have

already been purchased.

The new aircraft are part

of a major re-equipment

programme for the security

forces. The deal for the

helicopters will be valued

at $47.4m, including a five-

year spares and support

package, five-year engine

servicing, ground support

equipment and tools. The

DA40s cost $1.58m.

Meanwhile National

Security Minister

Robert Montague says

a surveillance aircraft

• possibly a DA42 –
  purchased for $16.9m,
  is now being fitted with
  an equipment suite and
  will be commissioned
  into service later this
  year. Dave Allport

Nicaragua

takes on

ex-Russian

Navy An-
TWO ANTONOV An-26s
have recently been acquired
from the Russian Navy
by the Fuerza Aérea del
Ejército de Nicaragua (FAEN,
Nicaraguan Army Air Force).
The aircraft – FA-EN
(c/n 5904, ex RF-46898/‘
Blue’) and FA-EN162 (c/n
6509, ex RF-46855) – are
being operated by the
Escadrón de Transport,
based at Managua
International Airport.
The first was first seen
at Managua on November
6 last year still wearing
its Russian serial but had
gained its FAEN serial two
days later. The second
arrived in Managua on
December 8. Dave Allport

Argentine 707 heads for scrap

Alexis Blanco

THE FUERZA Aérea

Argentina (FAA, Argentine

Air Force) has begun

to dismantle four of the

five Boeing 707s that

remain with the I Brigada

Aérea (1st Air Brigade)

at El Palomar in Buenos

Aires province. The

aircraft last flew more

than ten years ago.

The first to be scrapped

is 707-387B governmental

transport serial T-

(c/n 19241/555, formerly

LV-ISD of Aerolíneas

Argentinas), which served

with the FAA from January

1983 until June 2004.

Juan Carlos Cicalesi

Dominican Air Force

acquires Cessna 404

A CESSNA 404 has

recently entered Fuerza

Aérea de República

Dominicana (FARD,

Dominican Republic

Air Force) service. The

aircraft, serial number

1549, was first noted in

service in December,

operated by the Escadrón

de Transporte Aéreo at

Base Aérea San Isidro.

The origin of the second-

hand Cessna is unknown,

but it is rumoured to be

an impounded aircraft

requisitioned by the

FARD. Dave Allport

New Honduran Air

Force Cessna 208B

AN ADDITIONAL Cessna

208B Grand Caravan has

entered Fuerza Aérea

Hondureña (FAH, Honduran

Air Force) service. First

noted last November,

the aircraft, serial

number 025, is in an air

ambulance configuration.

The FAH acquired two

Grand Caravan EXs in

August and December

2015. At the time it was
      said the order covered
      three aircraft, but until now
      there had been no reports
      of the third having been
      delivered. Dave Allport