The Chilean Air Force (Fuerza Aérea de Chile – FACh) is likely to place an order for several medium size helicopters later this year, according to senior officers in the service.
At a FIDAE 2016 press conference, Alvaro Aguirre Warden, the FACH’s three-star aviation general, updated reporters on several acquisitions including plans to procure a new medium-size helicopter.
‘This year we would hope to sign a contract,’ he explained, adding that a quantity would currently depend on a price being offered by manufacturers.
Several aircraft are thought to be in consideration including the Airbus H215M (formerly the AS532 Cougar), the Sikorsky Black Hawk and even the Russian Helicopters Mi-17.
Lt Col Guillermo Pino, a FACH air operations manager, said the requirement would likely be around six to seven helicopters. Chilean representatives have already been around the world to test several helicopter variants, he said.
Currently the FACh rotary-wing fleet consists of 4.3t Bell UH-1 Hueys and 5.3t Bell 412s. This is also supplemented with just one Black Hawk.
‘The Black Hawk is an excellent aircraft but the problem is we only have one,’ said Pino. ‘We need helicopters that can carry more people and be much more multi-role.’
Despite tough economic conditions currently in Latin America, and a subsequent slowdown in military modernisation, helicopter acquisition is thought to be a high priority for the Chilean government as they can be used not just by the military but in humanitarian missions also.
‘In our meteorological conditions and difficult landscapes we need a [medium-size] helicopter like this,’ said Pino.
The requirement is believed to have stemmed from the lessons learned after the huge earthquake that hit Chile in 2010 and the FACH’s rotary wing response. A bigger helicopter would allow the force to carry more supplies and rescue more people if necessary during a humanitarian disaster.
Last month, Airbus Helicopters officials told reporters at its Marignane facility in France that the Chilean Air Force was on its radar as a potential customer for the recently rebranded 9t H215.
Fabrice Arfi, VP of business development at Airbus Helicopters, said the H215 would carry out a demonstration tour of North and South America this year.
It is believed the OEM invited Chilean representatives to the US to view the H215 earlier this month. The Chilean Army and Chilean Navy are existing Airbus Helicopters customers and operate a number of AS532 Cougar and AS332 Super Puma aircraft.