The first production Cougar AS532 ALe was delivered yesterday to the Chilean Army’s Aviation Brigade in a ceremony at the FIDAE international aerospace show.
The AS532 ALe, the latest member of the Cougar family of medium-lift helicopters, features the same four-axis autopilot and glass cockpit as the EC225. It is the ninth Cougar helicopter ordered by the Chilean Army.
Current service plans call for the procurement of additional AS532s until completing a fleet of at least 20 machines of the type to increase vertical air mobility of troops, equipment and supplies.
Other considerations that drove the selection included its value in rescue operations and responding to natural disasters.
Gen. Sergio Retamal, chief of the Chilean Army’s Aviation Command, said the service “is very proud to be the first operator of this new, more advanced version of Cougar.”
The Chilean Army’s Aviation Command operated a mixed fleet of medium-lift helicopters, including around 13 aircraft comprising SA330 Pumas, AS332 Super Puma and the AS532 ALe.
http://www.defensenews.com/article/20140326/DEFREG02/303260034/