 |
| Agusta Westland 109 DM HS-4 Zero Zero, BuNo 16041 |
With the establishment of a ARRS capable SAR unit in NAF Avignon, HS-2, equipped with the Sikorsky H-92, NAS Miramar gets a little more wiggle room by replacing most of HS-4's Sea Kings with a more agile and light weight rotor. The choice was Agusta Westland's 109 DM - D for Dani Airplanes, the SL manufacturer, and M for Miramar, since it is a NASM custom order model for the US Navy SL.
The 109 will fly PATROUs and CSAR for local squadrons and SEAL operations, and cover VIP transport. Pilots wishing to deploy with HS-4 will need a WOC/900 evaluation completed and a 109 specific certification, after which they will be sent the DM model by the manufacturer.
The Black Knights keep Sea King 66 active for ARRS open water SAR operations, thus maintaining the most famous Sea King in the US Navy, and indeed the world, in active duty.
CDR. Asra Kron
NASMCO
No comments:
Post a Comment