B2 The Daily of Geopolitical Europe. News. Files. Reflections. Reports

West Africa - SahelReport

Belgian helicopters on Medevac duty in Bamako

Major Mignolet, head of the Belgian detachment, next to the A 109 helicopter

(BRUXELLES2 - continuation of the report in Bamako) This is undoubtedly not the essential point of the European mission to train the Malian army. But it is one of the necessary components: the Belgian A109 helicopters, equipped with the Medevac module, are there if necessary to carry out the medical evacuation of one of the soldiers injured or sick during the mission.

On standby 24 hours a day

Housed on the very tarmac of the airport in Air Mali premises, the Belgian "medevac" team has around thirty people - including 6 pilots - and two helicopters.

It is a question, in fact, not only of having the necessary manpower for the on-call duty but also of making it possible to carry out all the maintenance and/or repairs necessary on the machines, including the largest overhauls (such as that of the 100 hours ). One of the two helicopters was thus coming out of its 100-hour overhaul during my visit. The soldiers have also taken the stock of parts necessary for this purpose. Being based on the airport has an advantage: " be able to benefit from all the services and benefits of the airport explains Major Mignolet, commander of the Belgian detachment (the Red Card Holder as the person in charge of verifying that the conditions of the mission are met is called). This allows you to be able to also count on the necessary assistance » other devices (civilian or military) present at the airport. Many military planes shuttle with Europe, either to bring teams for EUTM Mali, or on behalf of Misma or Serval.

The permanent Medevac

The teams - pilot and mechanic - take turns with three sets of staff in order to ensure permanence. With one imperative: to be in the air in 30 minutes during the day, 45 minutes at night, immediately after the alert. The radius of action of the helicopter is 115 nautical miles or 210 km without refueling. This makes it possible to go back and forth to Koulikoro without any problem, or even to go further if there is a supply station. What " allows you to cover an area where there is no combat ". possible area up to Mopti.

air or road

A priori, evacuation to Role 2 is done by road. The helicopter intervening, rather in secondary means, within the framework of a repatriation towards Europe (via the airport of Bamako). In Koulikoro, the Belgians chose to land on the beach, which " easier access as it is more open and generates less dust than inside the camp ».

The road route is certainly possible between Koulikoro and Bamako. But it takes about 2 hours by road (1h30 possibly) on a slightly stony and congested road against 15-20 minutes by helicopter. This makes the air route more practical if the weather permits. In all cases, the choice rests with the medical officer (the JMed) who chooses the most appropriate means - road or air - and, ultimately, with the operation commander.

Only problem (at the time when I was), the overflight of Bamako was not authorized yet, always in negotiation with the Malian authorities. The SOMA - mission statute - signed by the Europeans does not include this aspect. It is a specific, ad hoc agreement that must be negotiated.

On-site medical care

Medical assistance on board is provided by the nurse. The doctor is normally already there: the Role 2 doctor in Koulikoro, the General Staff doctor (Bulgarian) if it is in Bamako.

The medical technique of the Europeans is different from that practiced by the Americans. These tend to involve the helicopter more systematically, to evacuate the injured as quickly as possible to a hospital structure, according to the "rush and run" technique. The Europeans prefer to bring the doctors closer to the injured and then choose the most appropriate means.

A certain pooling of medical resources

The helicopters are normally reserved for the European mission EUTM Mali for which they are dedicated. But, if necessary, being one of the only helicopters available in Bamako, they can intervene for any medical repatriation "deemed useful" by the head of mission for "allies" or "friends". Thus they could intervene for the benefit of Malians injured during training or in other places, even African forces or French forces in Serval. In the same way, the Europeans have, if necessary, the French hospital of Operation Serval. Informally, medical resources are pooled and can be used, in an emergency, for one or the other. The application, neither more nor less, of the Hippocratic oath, as a military doctor explained to B2.

Flight conditions very different from Europe

The difficulty or rather the difference with the other missions (in Europe) is obvious. " We have far fewer benchmarks than in Europe. If we deviate from the axis of the Niger River, we will fly with navigation instruments or dead reckoning, a bit old-fashioned, with the map. And, as the distances are long there is little room for error. At night, there is very little light provided by the ground. » We must therefore take into account... the moon. Conditions non-existent in Europe.

Heat (which produces less lift between 25 and 40%) and dust are also two important constants that must be taken into account. Especially in the take-off and landing phases. " It is rather the collateral effect of the dust for those who are on the ground which is essential. " We got used to these landing conditions » where the dust makes the visibility nil. But for the maintenance of the aircraft, it also plays " Helicopters suffer. Plexiglas, compressor areas (alu) ". A very “dust” different from Benin where the Belgian crews have already been deployed. Probably lighter, more sandy...

Necessary maintenance

After each flying day, there is the daily maintenance of the helicopter, which takes 1 or 2 hours, with cleaning and checking the control set, and other tests. The 100-hour overhaul is more substantial, the helicopter is disassembled and reassembled, an operation that takes 4 to 5 days. The very major maintenance (every 600 hours) is not done on site but in Belgium, at the Beauvechain base. But there is not too much concern, the average flight is 50 hours per month. Apart from intervention times, pilots must continue to fly and train. " We have a training syllabus for pilots otherwise they lose certain qualifications...

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).

s2Member®