| a | |||
|
|
|||
|
World Aviation Defense & Security News - China
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
PLAAF's Mi-171 helicopters start peacekeeping mission in Darfur
|
|||
|
Two Mi-171 multi-purpose helicopters attached to China's first peacekeeping helicopter detachment successfully completed the adaptability ferrying take-off and landing training on Nov 4. This is the maiden flight the detachment has conducted since deployed in the mission area in Darfur of Sudan.
|
|||
|
|
|||
 A Mi-171 aircraft from China's first peacekeeping helicopter unit completes its maiden flight, returning to El Fasher Airport in the Darfur area of western Sudan, on November 4, 2017(Credit: PLA Daily) |
|||
|
|
|||
|
The detachment is equipped with four Mi-171 medium multi-purpose helicopters. It consists of one flying company, one maintenance company and one logistical support company with 140 personnel in total coming from an aviation brigade of the PLA Army's 81st Combined Corps.
Deployed to the mission area in Darfur of Sudan in August, 2017, the detachment will mainly perform peacekeeping missions of air patrol, battlefield reconnaissance, personnel delivery, transfer of the wounded and transport of materials. On Saturday morning, two Mi-171helicopters of the detachment took off from the El Fasher Airport at about 10 a.m. local time, and flew to Kabkabiya and Tawila, two places where the African Union/United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) forces are stationed, for adaptability ferrying flight training. The two helicopters successfully completed the training and returned safely to the El Fasher Airport one and a half hours later. According to the schedule, the Chinese peacekeeping helicopter detachment will officially start mission flights after completing the adaptability training. The detachment obtained respectively the UNAMID's permission to fly on Oct 18 and the permission by the Sudanese government and military on Nov 2. |
|||
