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NBS rīcībā jauni lidaparāti

Latvian President looks at 'Black Hawk' helicopters at NBS base

Take note – story published 1 year and 8 months ago

The National Armed Forces (NBS) have had a number of modern aircraft – 'Black Hawk' helicopters – delivered that are a significant improvement over their predecessors, which have been at the disposal of the armed forces so far. The President of Latvia Egils Levits visited the air force base on Monday, Latvian Television reported January 23.

Since the end of last year, the NBS Air Force Base has been training skills with new aircraft – both the Black Hawks and two very fast and maneuverable Tarragon planes.

Tarragon airplanes are designed to develop training flights and combat capabilities. The aircraft was manufactured in Latvia. It is the quickest in the ultra-light class and is also economical. It consumes 20 to 30 liters of fuel per hour and is capable of flying up to 1,000 kilometers with a full tank.

Tarragon pilot Rihards Kadiķis said he is currently in the training process. He usually flies “AN2”.

Kadiķis said: “The comparison would roughly be like a bus with a go-kart. “AN2” is relatively slow and not so much maneuverable. This plane is basically capable of developing up to five G-forces. The feeling is like if we pull the plane's nose up, you can taste the brain a little in your mouth.”

Also, pilots of Black Hawk helicopters received in December describe the experience with the new aircraft with delight.

Kadiķis said: “It's a pleasure to fly and see what that helicopter can do. Although the experience has not been relatively big in the past, this is something unspeakable."

On the other hand, Jānis Ķēniņš, pilot of the helicopter section of NBS Aviation, said: “The technology is really very capable. It had a lot of additional systems that only makes life easier for the pilot, and above all, it is safety. [..] This is one of the safest things that has been flown to date."

Aircraft received at the end of last year were also inspected by the President of Latvia on Monday. He indicated that this is a huge contribution to our Air Force capacity. After inspecting the helicopters and chatting with the Latvian Air Force pilots, Levits stated:

“We received these helicopters last December; it is a major contribution to our air force capacity. Such helicopters can also be used for civil protection, both in the event of fires and in the rescue of people."

The President also praised the high level of training for Air Force personnel. Levits noted: “Our Air Force is highly qualified; we are sending our people to training – improving the capacity of our armed forces, improving both military and civilian defense capabilities. We hand over the previous helicopters to Ukraine, they know how to handle them."

The President of Latvia was also introduced to Tarragon aircraft produced in Latvia, which are intended to maintain the qualifications of pilots. “Ordering airplanes abroad is a time-consuming process, and it is great that we have this engineering capacity to build planes that are among the best such planes,” said Levits.

 

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