Jamaica Defence Force receives two Bell 429s
The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) has taken delivery of two Bell 429s from Bell, with a third scheduled to be delivered in 2019.
The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) has taken delivery of two Bell 429s from Bell, with a third scheduled to be delivered in 2019.
The service said that the helicopters will be used for search and rescue, medevac and natural disaster relief, as well as being utilised in military training and national security.
“We are proud to celebrate today’s delivery and strengthen our rich history with the JDF,” said Jay Ortiz, Senior Vice-President of Commercial Business – Americas. “The Bell 429 is the most technologically advanced aircraft in its class, and these modern platforms will provide the JDF with enhanced mission capabilities well into the future.”
The JFD currently operates a fleet that includes four Bell 407s, two Bell 412s and two Bell 206s.
“Over the years, our mission has evolved, resulting in the need to acquire the Bell 429 to more effectively meet the demands of our mission profiles and further prove our rotary-wing capability,” said Col Roderick Williams, the JDF’s Colonel Adjutant Quartermaster and a former Commanding Officer of the JDF Air Wing. “The Bell 429 offers excellent performance and advanced avionics with outstanding maintainability and aircraft readiness for multi-mission operations.”