Air Corps to fly high with new choppers

[Frank]

Air Corps to fly high with new choppers

DON LAVERY

A CONTRACT of €60m for six new helicopters for the Air Corps is to be signed by Defence Minister Willie O'Dea this week after a hard-fought competition between three helicopter manufacturers for the order.

The Minister will sign a formal contract on Wednesday for four utility Agusta/Bell AB-139 helicopters which will be the first armed helicopters to serve with the Air Corps. They can be armed with two GPMG machine guns and a variety of other weapons.

They will each be able to carry eight soldiers. Their primary role will be to operate and train with Ireland's Special Forces, the elite Army Ranger Wing, along with other tasks.

Two light utility Eurocopter EC-135s, similar to the model used by the Garda Air Support Unit, will also be bought, mainly for training.

The six new helicopters, with an option on two more utility helicopters, will replace an original fleet of 15 Alouette, Gazelle and Dauphin helicopters, some of them now over 40 years old.

The new fleet will also be available for VIP transport, air ambulance and aid to the civil community.

The firm which lost out on the order, America's Sikorsky, offered their Blackhawk helicopter for the utility role but it was not selected. They had won a separate order previously for up to five large medium lift helicopters but this was cancelled, ostensibly as part of budget cuts, by then Defence Minister Michael Smith amid threats of High Court action by competitors.

Mr O'Dea said yesterday that he was looking forward to finally signing the contract for the "much-needed helicopters" and he was delighted that negotiations had been concluded successfully.

He added: "The Air Corps is doing an outstanding job and deserve the very best equipment in order for it to continue with its work."

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