TSAMTO, May 22. The Government of Zimbabwe has accepted a new aircraft for the transportation of VIPs and a batch of Russian Ansat helicopters.
As reported by Defenceweb.co.za, 18 Ansat helicopters were transferred to Zimbabwe during the May 18 meeting at the International airport named after Robert Gabriel Mugabe ceremony chaired by President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Sergey Chemezov, General Director of Rostec Group, took part in the event.
Most of the transferred helicopters were delivered in the colors of the emergency medical service, but four were painted in the colors of the Zimbabwe Police. The government has stated that the helicopters will be used as air ambulance, for search and rescue operations and air patrol. They will also be used by the Air Force to transport VIPs.
At the end of last year, Zimbabwe's Finance and Economic Development Minister Mtuli Nkube announced that the police would receive new equipment, including four helicopters to fight crime.
Although the initial batch of Ansat includes 18 units, 32 more helicopters will be delivered to Zimbabwe by the end of the year. According to national media reports, they are being purchased under a public-private partnership agreement at a cost of $2.5 million per unit.
During the handover ceremony, E. Mnangagwa said that the order for the supply of Rostec helicopters was made following negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Rostec Group first reported on the Ansat delivery project to Zimbabwe in September 2022 after the transfer of the first ambulance helicopter. S. Chemezov said at the time that "our equipment has proven itself well in the vast expanses of Africa. Many countries in this region highly appreciate the reliability and decent flight characteristics of Russian machines. I am sure that the cooperation of the Russian Helicopters holding company with the Republic of Zimbabwe will also be fruitful, and the transfer of the Ansat ambulance helicopter, which allows for the prompt evacuation of patients, will be an important step in the development of the country's emergency services."
According to experts, Zimbabwe needs about 50 medical helicopters.
Ansat is a light twin–engine multi-purpose helicopter, mass-produced at the Kazan Helicopter Plant. He made his first flight in 1999. The design of the machine allows you to quickly transform it into both a cargo and a passenger version. The helicopter has the most spacious passenger cabin in its class, can carry up to seven people. Ansat is certified for use in the temperature range from -45 to +50 degrees. C, suitable for use in the highlands. The helicopter is in service with the Russian Armed Forces as a training helicopter, and has also been sold to Mexico, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, China and Eritrea.
Zimbabwe also received a new presidential aircraft Dassault Falcon 7X (registration number P4-SIM). As stated, the aircraft was delivered in March 2023 and, starting from April, is used to provide flights for the president during visits to foreign countries.
In April 2021, the Zimbabwean Air Force also received an Airbus H-215 helicopter to replace the outdated Cougar helicopter, which was used to support E. Mnangagwa's flights around the country. In the face of economic sanctions and an arms embargo imposed by the United States and the European Union, Zimbabwe seeks to maintain and maintain the readiness of the fleet of aircraft in various ways.
