B2 Brussels2 The Blog

Political and defence Europe (by Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)

News BlogAfricaoperations

Eufor in Chad now has 13 helicopters

(BRUSSELS2) Two Gazelle helicopters – from the 3rd Combat Helicopter Regiment (RHC)
d’Étain – have just arrived in Abéché (Eastern Chad). They were transported on the 5th to the Chadian capital, N'Djamena, aboard a large carrier Antonov 124 then, once reconditioned, returned to their assignment the following day.

The Eufor helicopter unit in Chad now includes 13 helicopters, stationed at different sites: four Puma and four Gazelle French — mostly stationed in Abéché (notably the Gazelle attack), the rest in N'Djamena -, three Mi17 helicopters (Polish) for the North battalion (Iriba) and two Mi 8 helicopters (Irish) for the south battalion (Goz Beida).

We are still waiting for the four Russian helicopters. We are talking about Mi-8MT (newer than ordinary Mi8s and more heavily armed, they can also be used as assault helicopters) or Mi-17 (NB: There is no need to say Russian-made equipment is well adapted to the desert)! A Russian team is also on reconnaissance in Abéché.

(NGV)

Nb: for a brief overview of the helicopter battalion commanded in Abéché by Colonel Bouillaud: “ a pacific war for helicopters » and, more generally, the blog of David Ax

(Updated July 21)
Photo credit: Dicod French Army and Eufor
Chad/CAR

Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).

Comments closed.