Flight Daily News

Germany signed a contract with Eurocopter at ILA, Berlin's air show yesterday for the retrofit of six more Sikorsky CH-53G transport helicopters to be converted for special missions with the German army.

The helicopters will be fitted with ballistic self protection and specific mission equipment. The order is worth approximately €24 million ($37.3 million), a large proportion of which will go to medium-sized German equipment manufacturers.

The German army will take delivery of the urgently-needed transport helicopters between May and November 2009.

© Messe Berlin

The order aims to close some of the operational gaps that currently exist in part of the German army’s fleet of CH-53Gs, in particular to the defensive mission equipment for protecting the crews and helicopters while flying missions. Several of the aircraft are currently deployed to Mazar e-Sharif in Afghanistan to support NATO-led operations in the country.

The centrepiece of the retrofit is the integration of an EloKa (electronic warfare) defence system, the addition of an internal fuel tank system to extend the helicopter’s range and equipment to prepare the helicopter for flying night missions.

“With this project we are providing rapid response to the German army’s requirements for mission-capable transport helicopters to guarantee their national and international mission capability in the long-term”, said Ralf Barnscheidt, senior vice president helicopter support center, German armed forces.

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