New helicopters for Portuguese Air Force
Two AW119Kx multirole helicopters have been delivered to Portugal’s Air Force at the Beja Air Base.
Two AW119Kx multirole helicopters have been delivered to Portugal’s Air Force at the Beja Air Base. The new aircraft will provide greater versatility and performance compared to the current fleet of ageing single engine rotary wing aircraft, as well as an improved training capability for military crews before moving to the AW101, Super Lynx and other frontline types. This delivery will be followed by a further three of the aircraft by early 2020 – these will be built at Leonardo’s Philadelphia facility in Pennsylvania, US.
An official ceremony, which took place at Beja Air Base, was held to celebrate the event on 18 February – dignitaries and representatives from the Portuguese Ministry of Defence (MoD), Air Force and Leonardo were all present at the event.
The aircraft was selected after rigorous assessments of various models showed that Leonardo’s offer was best-suited to the specific requirements set out by the customer. The new helicopters will be used for several roles, including training, MEDEVAC, troop transport and short-range maritime search and rescue (SAR), as well as also potentially being used for firefighting.
The contract set up between Leonardo and the Portuguese MoD, which also includes options for two additional units, marks further reinforcement of their long-standing partnership in the helicopter sector – this follows supplies to the Air Force of AW101s for long-range SAR, utility, personnel recovery and fishery protection missions and of Super Lynx aircraft (including a Mid Life Upgrade) to the Portuguese Navy for maritime roles.