In the latest instalment of AFM’s review of Europe’s helicopter gunships, coverage moves to Romania, Spain and Turkey.
FLEET SURVEY
Romania
Tank-busting Pumas
IN THE 1970S, Romania acquired a licence to build the SA330 Puma, locally named IAR-330. Designed as a transport helicopter, the SA330 and the IAR derivative have been transformed into many different versions and outgrew their original mission. There are several variants of the IAR-330 Puma serving the Forţele Aeriene Române (FAR, Romanian Air Force) but the most advanced is the SOCAT (Sistemul Optoelectronic de Cautare si lupta Anti-Tanc, or optoelectronic search and anti-tank combat system) helicopter gunship.
The main mission of the SOCAT is anti-tank warfare, but it can also perform close air support (CAS), combat search and rescue (CSAR), reconnaissance, search and rescue (SAR) and troop/materiel transport.
IAR Brasov and Elbit Systems developed the SOCAT upgrade in the 1990s. It transformed the IAR-330 into a modern, multimission, gunship. Among its enhancements were state-of-theart avionics, including mission control computers and a joystick for operating the armament and optical systems, and an electro-optical system for target location, acquisition and aiming.
