The US has donated a further four utility helicopters to the Dominican Republic – comprising two Bell TH-67A Creeks for the Dominican Republic Army and a pair of Bell UH-1H Super Huey IIs for the Dominican Republic Air Force – with all four aircraft arriving in-country on February 14.
The two TH-67As (now serialled as ERD2000 and ERD2001) were formerly operated by the US Army’s 1st Battalion, 223rd Aviation Regiment (1-223rd AVN) ‘Spartans’ at Fort Rucker in Alabama before they were withdrawn from use. Having gained a second lease-of-life with the Dominican Republic Army, these helicopters will be operated by the 1er Escuadrón de Caballeria Aérea (1st Squadron of the Air Cavalry), which is based at Santo Domingo La Isabela International Airport.
This unit also operates four surviving Bell OH-58A/C Kiowas – comprising two OH-58As and two OH-58Cs – of the nine (five OH-58Cs and four OH-58As) that were delivered to the Dominican Republic Army from March 2003. In addition, the squadron employs three Robinson R22 Beta II and two R44 Raven I light helicopters, which both entered operational service in March 2001. In Dominican service, the Creeks will be used to enhance the Army’s capabilities in its border region with Haiti.
On the same day as these helicopters were delivered to the Army, the Dominican Republic Air Force announced it had received its final batch of two UH-1H Super Huey IIs which also arrived at San Isidro Air Base from the US on February 14. The Dominican Republic has now received six Huey IIs in total, with previous deliveries taking place in December 2022 and January 2023, respectively. The air arms two new UH-1Hs have been serialled as FAD3076 (c/n 13184) – formerly registered as N72594 and operated by the US Customs and Border Patrol – and FAD3077 (c/n 13467), which was formerly operated by NASA and registered as N418NA.
