www.fragoutmag.com
The biggest in the recent years tender for a
purchase of the military helicopters in Europe
results from the operational needs and
depreciation of the currently deployed aircraft
in the Polish Army – it is about, above all, the
maritime Mil Mi-14 (NATO code: Haze), but also
the Mil Mi-8/Mi-17 (NATO code: Hip). Additionally
it, it turns out that by the way of exchanging
helicopters will come to a transfer to the NATO
structure of the machine fleet of this type what
means, inter alia, using to transport helicopters
of medium and heavy category. A purchase will
be made for all armed forces service - Land
Forces, Air Force and Navy. They decided for
a single platform what is an idea which is not
fully considered. Discussions about acquiring
new helicopters lasted for a long time, such a
purchase appeared in the political declarations
a long time ago – therefore it was almost
immediately known which companies would
take part in the tender. Over the years, there
were made certain preparatory steps – the
Italian AgustaWestland company bought an
aviation plant in Świdnik and the American
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. – a factory in Mielec.
Thanks to that acquisitions both manufactures
prepared for themselves appropriate resources
before an upcoming program of purchasing
helicopters for Poland. When proceedings
were launched it quickly became apparent
that the Inspectorate of Armament had planed
acquiring machines of the medium category
– so, speculations started that the first fiddle
will play AgustaWestland AW149 and Sikorsky
S-70i Black Hawk International (or one of the
variants). Up till now, quite unexpectedly, joined
the third one - EC725 Caracal from Airbus
Helicopters manufactured by producer tied
