Egyptian Navy's AW149 helicopters make first appearance
AW149 helicopters of the Egyptian Navy have made their first appearance on the ENS Gamal Abdel Nasser, reports Navy Recognition
The AW149 is a medium-lift military helicopter developed by Leonardo. It’s designed for missions such as troop transport, medical and casualty evacuation, Search and Rescue (SAR) and Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR). The helicopter delivers a cruise speed of 150 knots, a maximum range greater than 1,200 km and endurance of up to five hours.
ENS Gamal Abdel Nasser is an Egyptian Navy helicopter carrier. It was originally built for the Russian Navy and has gone on sea trials. Subsequently, the contract was cancelled by France and agreement on compensation reached with the Russian government. Egypt and France concluded the deal to acquire the two former Russian Mistral for roughly €950 million.
Meanwhile, Airbus is providing fleet support for the Egyptian Air Force. The five-year services contract is for the performance-based support of its fleet, composed of a total of 24 aircraft.