Contract will allow the replacement of the H-50 Esquilo aircraft, of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), and the Bell 206 Jet Ranger, of the Brazilian Navy (MB), by the H-125 aircraft
Air Force Agency, by Lieutenant Marayane
To build an Air Force that is each day more technological and innovative. This is the goal of the Air Force Command (COMAER), which on Thursday (09/15) signed a contract with the company Airbus Helicopters, taking another step towards the modernization of the fleet. The agreement, signed by the President of the Coordinating Committee of the Combat Aircraft Program (COPAC), Air Brigadier Antonio Luiz Godoy Soares Mioni Rodrigues, and by the Vice-President of Airbus Helicopters Latin America, Alberto Robles, will allow the acquisition of 12 H-125 aircraft to replace the H-50 Esquilo aircraft of the Rotary Wing Aviation of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB). The same contract also foresees the acquisition of 15 aircraft of this model by the Brazilian Navy (MB).
The signing ceremony was presided over by the Aerospace Operations Commander, Air Lieutenant Brigadier Heraldo Luiz Rodrigues, and was attended by the Preparations Commander, Air Lieutenant Brigadier Sérgio Roberto de Almeida; the General Staff Commander, Air Lieutenant Brigadier Ricardo Reis Tavares of the Secretary of Economics, Finance and Administration of the Air Force, Air Lieutenant Brigadier Ricardo Augusto Fonseca Neubert; General Officers of the Brazilian Navy, the Brazilian Army and the Air Force; the Deputy of the Union’s General Attorney, Paulo Henrique Kuhn, representing, this year, the Union’s General Attorney, Minister Bruno Bianco Leal, among other civil and military authorities.
“This moment represents the work of several FAB Military Organizations, headed by the Commander of the Air Force, Air Lieutenant Brigadier Carlos de Almeida Baptista Junior, and several agencies involved in making this project succeed. On behalf of the Commander, I would like to thank all the Organizations and sections involved in this process. And, of course, to Airbus, which has been a long-time partner of the Air Force,” said Lieutenant Brigadier Heraldo.
Leading the project at COPAC, Brigadier Soares stressed that the project’s success should be shared. “The joint acquisition of H-125 aircraft by the Brazilian Navy (MB) and the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), which has been celebrated here, is an important step towards the adoption of a standardized means, henceforth defined by the Ministry of Defense, for training the rotary wing crews of the Armed Forces. For this project to succeed, we had the support of several Brazilian government agencies, such as the Office of the Federal Advocate General (AGU), which ensured that all the constitutional legal framework was observed,” he explained.
On his part, Alberto Robles highlighted the importance of the fleet renewal. “At this moment, we are renewing a partnership with the Brazilian Armed Forces. You can be sure that you are now receiving state-of-the-art Rotorcraft aviation, that is, the highest level of aircraft in the area: a modern and versatile aircraft that will contribute greatly to the training of future pilots. With this partnership, we are developing not only the aerial capabilities, but the entire capacity to generate employment and income with the manufacturing of these helicopters here in Brazil,” he concluded.
Photos: Sergeant Müller / CECOMSAER *** Translated by the DEFCONPress FYI Team ***