A pair of Belgian Air Component NH90 TTHs have arrived in Africa for the first operational deployment of the force’s Caiman helicopters, as Jos Schoofs reports.
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The NH90 Tactical Transport Helicopter (TTH) fleet declared Limited Operational Capability (LOC) with the Belgian Air Component on February 6. The milestone means the type can support a non-Article 5 Crisis Response Operation (CRO) with two helicopters over a four-month period. This involves working in a permissive or uncertain environment with possible small arms fire and without a spare helicopter in the area of operations.
A pair of TTHs was loaded into a Volga-Dnepr An-124 at Beauvechain air base on February 5. Operated by 18 ‘Ares’ Multirole Helicopter (MRH) Squadron, RN-06 and RN-07 will participate in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali between March 1 and June 30.
The Belgian Council of Ministers approved participation in MINUSMA on November 23 last year and the mission can be prolonged by an additional two months if required.
The decision to transfer from Beauvechain to Bamako in southern Mali by transport aircraft was a practical one. Covering the distance of around 2,375nm would have ta…
