TSAMTO, January 11. The Command of the Chilean Navy received the third light single-engine helicopter H-125 (national designation HH-50).
As reported by Scramble.nl, a helicopter with tail number 23 (serial number 8980) arrived at Airbus Helicopters Chile, located at Eulogio Sanchez Airport (Santiago), on New Year's Eve.
Thus, information was confirmed that the Chilean Navy exercised an option to purchase three additional H-125 helicopters after receiving the first two ordered vehicles of this type under the base contract of 2019. The helicopters are assembled at Helibras (a subsidiary of Airbus Helicopters) in Itajuba (Minas Gerais State, Brazil).
As already reported by CAMTO, in September 2019, Airbus Helicopters with the H-125 helicopter (formerly AS-350B3e) was announced the winner of the tender for the supply of five new single-engine light helicopters to the Chilean Navy as part of the Gaviota project, which provides for the replacement of UH-57B helicopters (Bell-206 "Jet Ranger-3") that have been in operation since the 1970s. Airbus Helicopters with the H-125 was also ahead of the Bell-407GXP and AW-119Ke helicopters offered for tender.
In November 2019, the command of the Chilean Navy signed a contract with Airbus for the supply of the first two H-125s as part of the implementation of the first stage of the program. The agreement provided for a full package of support, including technical advice, spare parts supply and staff training. $6.7 million was allocated for the implementation of the first phase of the Navy project. The first helicopter was officially accepted by the command of the Chilean Navy from Airbus Helicopters on December 22, 2020, the second - on September 17, 2021. It was planned that by the end of 2021, the Chilean Navy will receive a third helicopter, and the fourth and fifth will be delivered in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
It is assumed that the new helicopters will be used to ensure maritime safety, control maritime traffic, medical evacuation, support search and rescue operations, provide communications and basic flight training for naval aviation pilots.
Due to its maneuverability, the presence of attachment points for fixing on the deck and the folding system of the blades, H-125 helicopters can be used on board ships. The machines are equipped with a rescue lift with a lifting capacity of 205 kg.
According to the plans, the new helicopters will be deployed at the Konkon Naval base (near Valparaiso). In the period from 2024 to 2025, a hangar for storing H-125 helicopters should be built on the base.
Initially, the H-125 will complement the UH-57 fleet, which is planned to be decommissioned after 2025. The simultaneous use of these two types of helicopters will temporarily stop the operation of the existing AS-365F1 "Dauphin-2" and carry out their repair and modernization.
