Tive conhecimento que as FFAA Suecas, além dos 15 UH60 que possuem, para limitar a inoperacionalidade de grande parte da frota de NH90, planeiam adquirir mais um lote dos helis Americanos, muito provavelmente para alienar os NH90 e também parte ou a totalidade da frota de vinte AW109 que possuem.
Como, muito provavelmente os nossos especialistas das aquisições Aéreas poderão estar tentados a comprar mais Kualitas, mesmo Asteroizados, seria uma escolha um pouco melhor se, a alienação de parte da frota 109 Sueca for avante, tentar adquirir, pelo menos algumas unidades daqueles Helis Ligeiros.
Tendo entrado ao serviço há cerca de treze/catorze anos, as unidades suecas terão ainda uns bons milhares de horas de voo disponíveis para oferecer ao futuro comprador.
Até as seis unidades que foram navalizadas poderiam representar uma opção, quem sabe, para que os futuros NPO's, a existirem, pudessem receber o 109M como heli dedicado....
AgustaWestland AW109MUH / Hkp15B
Since 1998 all Swedish military helicopters all come under the Swedish Armed Forces Helicopter Wing (Försvarsmaktens Helikopterflottilj), which is divided in to squadrons each with their own assigned duties and work in cooperation with the air force, army and navy.
3.HkpSkv (Helikopterskvadronen) is based with F 17 Wing at Ronneby and their role is to support naval operations with the AgustaWestland AW109MUH known in Swedish military service as the Hkp15B. 20 Hkp15As (serials 15021 to 15040) delivered 2.HkpSkv (Helikopterskvadronen) at Malmen/Linkoping from April 2006 to June 2007.
Six of these (serials 15033 to 15038) were navalised (CSAR/SAR) for ship based operations as Hkp15Bs from March 2008 to June 2008 and assigned to 3.HkpSkv with F 17 Wing at Kallinge/Ronneby. When equipped with sonar buoys they can be used for anti-submarine warfare (ASW). They mostly work over the sea with ships, performing surface surveillance and sea traffic control. Additionally they can support land forces and are required to act as targets over the sea for the Gripen pilots. However they mostly try to keep out of the way of the air force by flying low for safety reasons. Low flights along the coastline and birds become another hazard while over land wires and telephone masts add to the dangers, the Hkp15s are also fitted with wire cutters top and bottom to reduce their vulnerability to snagging wires and cables.https://www.targeta.co.uk/air2air_hkp15b.htmAbraços