As the government has decided that the Portuguese Air Force will be coordinating aerial fire fighting operations in the future, using military machines and overseeing private contracts for aircraft and helicopter assistance, the service will have to be provided with more helicopters – five more than those already on order.
The cost estimate for the additional hardware is €20.5 million and Air Force chiefs are dropping a note to this effect to the Minister of Defence ‘for his most kind consideration.’
The current helicopter tender, launched in May, has elicited applications from Leonardo in Italy and Airbus Defence and Space SAS, based in Toulouse, France.
Airbus has €300 million of earlier supply obligations to discharge in Portugal, specifically associated with the purchase of 12 Spanish C-295 aircraft (seven for tactical transport and five for maritime surveillance), acquired in 2008 for €274 million. The company agreed to spend €460 million on 'something Portuguese' so as to get the order.
It is not known what will happen to the current aerial fire-fighting equipment run by the National Civil Protection Authority, especially four of the six Russian-built Kamov helicopters that actually are able to take off. The two that were trouble from the start, happily can be scrapped.
The future of the contract with Everjets, which guarantees the availability of 25 aircraft until mid-2018, is under review with any link between this company and those setting light to the Portuguese countryside sure to be a contract breaker.
The five new helicopters to be ordered are to replace 18 old Alouette helicopters, operated by the Portuguese Air Force since 1963. These were found to be particularly useful in the Colonial Wars but the Alouette has been out of production since 1985 and spare parts now are rather hard to come by.
One small problem is that the new helicopters, when ordered, won’t arrive in Portugal until the second half of 2019 and any additional ones needed, will have similar lead times.
Another option is to buy second hand helicopters.
The U.K.’s Royal Navy and Royal Air Force are slimming down their fleets of 'Junglie' Sea King helicopters. These choppers are being sold off by Witham Specialist Vehicles which is offering a fleet of 30 Sea Kings, each can carry 27 people and lift about 6,000 pounds.
These helicopters are sitting at a Grantham airfield. Many are unusable but all some need are new engines.
Three Sea Kings are available for immediate delivery and are offered at €180,000 each. (here) Add the cost of Rolls Royce Gnome 1400-1 Turboshaft engines and the €20.5 million asked for by the Air Force can be reduced to a sensible amount and with no corrupt payments involved.
