09 February 2022
by Alessandra Giovanzanti
The Italian Air Force received its last HH-139B on 31 January 2022. The first helicopter (shown here) was delivered on 30 November 2020. (Italian Air Force)
The Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana: AMI) has received the last of the 17 Leonardo HH-139B helicopters that it had ordered for combat search-and-rescue (CSAR) duties.
Speaking to Janes on 9 February, an AMI spokesperson said that the 17th helicopter was delivered on 31 January 2022, about 14 months after the first HH-139B helicopter.
“The AMI now operates a fleet of 30 HH-139 helicopters, including 13 HH-139As, which were delivered between 2012 and 2014, and 17 HH-139Bs, which were delivered between November 2020 and January 2022,” the spokesperson said.
Procurement of the new HH-139Bs was approved in December 2019 for a total budget of EUR408 million (USD453 million) including training, documentation, and support. A formal order was then placed in late March 2020 to Leonardo for EUR311.3 million to be spent between 2020 and 2024, including initial support and training services.
The HH-139-series helicopters will operate alongside the service's six HH-101A in the CSAR, medical evacuation, fire-fighting, and slow-mover interceptor roles.
23 April 2024
by Gareth Jennings
A file photo of a UAE F-16 combat aircraft. While the Gulf state has traditionally enjoyed strong procurement and operational ties with the West, the UAE AFAD is now also seeking closer co-operation with the PLAAF in China. (Lockheed Martin)
The chief of joint operations for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Armed Forces has met with the head of China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) as the two countries look to promote closer co-operation between their respective air forces.
The UAE Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced the meeting on 23 April, saying that on the same day Major General Saleh Mohammed bin Mejren Al Ameri, commander of Joint Operations, had met with Lieutenant General Chang Dingqiu, commander of the PLAAF, at the headquarters of the Chinese MoD in Beijing.
“During the meeting, a number of topics related to the fields of joint military co-operation and work between the two countries and ways to support and develop them were discussed. The meeting was attended by a number of senior officers and officials of the MoDs of the two countries,” the UAE MoD said.
23 April 2024
by Victor Barreira
The Brazilian Navy wants to improve the radar capabilities of its OPVs. (Victor Barreira)
As part of an effort to update its Amazonas-class offshore patrol vessels (OPVs), the Brazilian Navy is acquiring a new air and surface search radar with identification friend-or-foe capability (IFF), according to the Navy Weapon Systems Directorate (Diretoria de Sistemas de Armas da Marinha: DSAM).
The Brazilian Naval Commission in Washington, DC, (Comissão Naval Brasileira em Washington: CNBW) on behalf of the DSAM has requested a request for information (RFI) and the price availability for up to three radars on 25 March.
The navy seeks to recover the combat capability of the OPVs by updating several of the ship's systems, the Navy Directorate-General for Material (Diretoria-Geral do Material da Marinha: DGMM) recently told Janes .
The modernisation of the OPVs will be carried out by the DSAM, the DGMM added, without detailing a schedule and the scale of the effort.
The DSAM is subordinated to the DGMM.
22 April 2024
by Akhil Kadidal
The two Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Sikorsky) SH-60Ks, which crashed on 20 April, were participating in an anti-submarine exercise with the JMSDF submarines and surface vessels, according to the service. In this representative 2016 photo, a JMSDF SH-60K Seahawk (in the front) operates with a US Navy MH-60R Seahawk. (US Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Matthew C Duncker)
Two Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Sikorsky) SH-60K helicopters of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) have crashed after they suffered a suspected mid-air collision during a night-time training exercise.
Japan Minister of Defense Minoru Kihara said the incident occurred between 2238 and 2304 h local time on 20 April, while the helicopters were conducting an anti-submarine drill with other JMSDF units. According to Kihara, three helicopters were participating in the drill, 150 n miles east of Torishima Island, in the Izu Islands chain.
“Two of the helicopters were flying in close proximity to each other and we have determined that there is a high possibility that there was a collision,” Kihara said on 21 April.
The Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana: AMI) has received the last of the 17 Leonardo ...
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