TSAMTO, December 25th. The Peruvian police have adopted the Mi-17-1B multi-purpose transport helicopter, which was repaired at the Helicentro Peru SAC center certified by Russian Helicopters JSC.
As reported by Infodefensa.com, the Mi-17 helicopter with registration number PNP-503 in a new paint (in gray primary and black secondary colors), after completion of structural repairs and functional tests, was adopted by the Aviation Directorate of the National Police of Peru (DIRAVPOL) on November 30, 2023.
The helicopter was manufactured in 1992 at the facilities of JSC Kazan Helicopter Plant. DIRAVPOL acquired it in 1996. During the next flight, the crew of the PNP-503 helicopter had to make an emergency landing on September 19, 2023 near the city of Pangoa (Satipo, Peru). The crew was not injured.
Since 2001, DIRAVPOL has been experiencing problems obtaining sufficient funding to regularly maintain its small helicopter fleet. In mid-November, the department signed a contract worth 15.444 million sols (about $4.1 million) with a consortium formed by Global Aerotec E.IR.L. and HBR Aviacao S.A. to repair the components of five EC-145 helicopters (PNP-127, PNP-128, PNP-129, PNP-130 y PNP-131).
Helicentro Peru SAC is a Peruvian company, which since 2005 has been certified by the General Directorate of Civil Aviation of Peru (DGAC) as an authorized helicopter maintenance organization, which, in addition to extensive experience with Russian–made equipment, has the appropriate certificates and permits of JSC Russian Helicopters.
Currently, the company operates on the basis of a technical cooperation agreement signed in December 2016 between the Technical Service Service (SEMAN PERU SAC) and Russian Helicopters, which provides for the repair and maintenance of Russian-made civilian and military helicopters at facilities in Las Palmas. In order to ensure more comfortable work at this facility, Helicentro Peru SAC restored two hangars, which were put into operation on December 10, 2018. One of the company's hangars is also located in the additional fixed point (UFA) of the Army aviation in Callao.
Over the past five years, Helicentro Peru SAC has carried out routine and major repairs of more than 40 Russian–made helicopters, of which four Mi-17-1B for the Air Force and one for the National Police in 2019, and three Mi–17-1B for the Air Force in 2020.
In addition, a significant amount of work has been carried out on the current repair of Mi-17-1B and Mi-171SH/Sh-P helicopters in connection with bullet holes received during anti-sabotage operations in the valleys of the Apurimak, Ene and Mantaro rivers (the so-called VRAEM region).
At the moment, the company is carrying out major repairs of the Mi-8MTV-1, Mi-17-1B and two Mi-171SH of the 3rd Air Group located at the Armando Revredo Iglesias Air Base (Jorge Chavez International Airport), as well as repairs of four transport Mi-8MTV-1 of the Peruvian Army aviation.
