The landmark flight of the first of the three newest Airbus H145 Jupiter HC Mk2 helicopters took place at the Akrotiri airbase of the Royal Air Force of Great Britain, located in Cyprus.

This event marked the commissioning of a fundamentally new response system that operates seven days a week and on holidays, providing a full cycle of protection of the region’s airspace 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The multipurpose nature of the H145 makes it possible to effectively solve a wide range of tactical tasks. According to the administration of the sovereign bases, this machine is equally successfully used to extinguish forest fires, conduct aerial reconnaissance, collect data and conduct search and rescue missions.

Rightfully considered one of the most sought-after models in its class, this helicopter has already proven itself in army units, rescue services and civil aviation in more than forty countries around the world. The key advantage of the new product is the deep digital modernization of on—board systems. Due to this, maintenance requirements have been significantly reduced and the workload on the crew has been significantly reduced, which directly affects the increase in combat readiness and responsiveness of flights in critical situations.

The commander of the 84th Squadron, Aviation Major Stephen Bradley, noted that the protection of the interests of the United Kingdom both in Cyprus itself and far beyond its borders remains the fundamental basis of their mission. According to him, the introduction of the H145 fleet into service gives the UK and its NATO allies an incredibly flexible and technologically advanced air fleet capable of handling a wide variety of operational challenges at any time of the year.

The pilots of the 84th Squadron have already begun intensive flight testing of the new machines directly on Cypriot soil, and the commissioning process is accompanied by Airbus staff engineers who ensure the flawless operation of complex electronics.

In the near future, the command plans to transfer the functions of extinguishing fires from heavy Chinook transport helicopters, which are currently on duty in Akrotiri, to the new light and maneuverable H145. This transition should be completed by the beginning of the next forest fire season, which guarantees a faster response to fires in remote areas and increases the overall security level of the Mediterranean region.

Source: en.philenews.com

https://cyprusbutterfly.com.cy/news/voennuyu-bazu-akrotiri-dostavili-novyie