헬리콥터 요르단, 벨 505 훈련용 헬기 10기 구매

[위종민]

https://breakingdefense.com/2022/11/royal-jordanian-air-force-inks-deal-to-procure-10-bell-505-trainer-helicopters/

요르단 공군이 벨 505 훈련용헬기 10대를 구매하네요. 지난 화요일 발표했는데, 2023년에 5기, 2024년에 5기가 인도되고 기타 훈련용 장비는 2023년부터 도입될 예정이라고 합니다. 가격은 공개되지 않았고 요르단 공군이 대금을 지불하는지, 아니면 미국의 해외군사자금지원에서 차감되는지도 알려지지 않았습니다. (2021년 예산에 4억 2,500만 달러 배정) 

로빈슨 R44 헬기를 대체할 예정이라고 하고, 앞으로 UH-1H와 MH-6 리틀버드 헬기 대체소요가 있다고 합니다. 벨은 요르단 공군의 슈퍼 퓨마 대체기로 벨 525가 선정되길 기대하는 중이라고 합니다. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Jordanian_Air_Force에서 요르단군의 헬기 보유 현황을 보면 로빈슨 R44는 12기, UH-1H는 36기, AS-332 슈퍼 퓨마는 10기이네요. MH-6는 안 보이고 AH-6를 18기 주문했다고 합니다. 기자의 착각인 건지. 

Royal Jordanian Air Force - Wikipedia

Royal Jordanian Air Force inks deal to procure 10 Bell 505 trainer helicopters

Lee Ferran

3-4 minutes

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A Bell Textron 505 trainer in flight. (Bell Textron)

BEIRUT — The Royal Jordanian Air Force inked a deal with Bell Textron to procure 10 Bell 505 trainer helicopters on the first day of Special Operations Forces Exhibition & Conference (SOFEX) Tuesday in the Jordanian port city of Aqaba.

The deal includes delivering 10 helicopters and flight training devices with computer-based training packages by 2024, meant to enhance the air force’s training capabilities at King Hussein Air College.

“The helicopters will be delivered in different batches. Five helicopters will be delivered in 2023 and five helicopters will be delivered in 2024. All the training devices will be delivered along the way starting from 2023,” Patrick Moulay, Bell’s senior vice president for international sales, told Breaking Defense by email.

He added that the Bell 505 will not be used as utility or special forces helicopters, but “the main purpose of the helicopter will be training therefore it will be dedicated to the training Academy to train the young military cadets. To teach them the basics on how to fly those helicopters.”

The Royal Jordanian Air Force is undergoing a modernization push, and the Bell helos will replace the Robinson R44 Raven II trainers. T plans to phase out its Bell UH-1H helicopters and MH-6 Little Bird helicopters. Additionally, the air force has signed a letter of acceptance for eight F-16 Block 70 aircraft from Lockheed Martin. Moulay told Breaking Defense the Robinson-based aircraft had “reached their life limit.”

RELATED: New F-16s give Jordan’s air force a boost, but what comes next?

The company official declined to say how much the helo deal was worth, or whether it will be paid by Jordan or will be a part of US military aid to the country.

In the 2021 fiscal year budget, the United States dedicated $425 million in State Department Foreign Military Financing funds for Jordan.

“We look forward to adding the Bell 505 aircraft to our fleet and providing our pilots with one of the best possible aircraft for their training,” said Brig. Gen. Mohammad F. Hiyasat, the commander of the Royal Jordanian Air Force, in a statement. “The addition of 10 new aircraft will enable us to further expand our operations in the country, in turn increasing the capabilities of the Royal Jordanian Air Force.”

The King Hussein Air College is an air base at Mafraq city and gives a three-year-long academic program for aviation science, navigation and air traffic control.

Moulay highlighted Bell 505’s simplicity as a trainer. “From the glass cockpit standpoint, everything is integrated in the cockpit. So, it’s a perfect trainer to prepare the pilots to move on to much bigger aircraft with sophisticated avionics. The primary advantage of this helicopter is that it’s technically advanced with modern avionics to prepare the pilots to grow through the military fleet of the RJAF,” he said.

He added that the firm is looking forward to offering the Bell 525 military transport helicopter to the RJAF, as Bell eyes its bird as a replacement for Jordan’s aging Super Puma.