Sweden sold the helicopters specialize in water bombing – Swedish Dagbladet

Sweden sold the helicopters specialize in water bombing – Swedish Dagbladet

With major fire in Västmanland, Sweden’s resources to deal with forest fires ended up in the spotlight. Special Aircraft from Italy and France have been called in, but could not until Thursday, contribute fully to fighting.

In total 14 helicopters water bombing the fire. The military has been able to help with three of these. But for just over a year ago, there were also ten powerful helicopters Vertol in the Armed Forces possession – that would lend itself particularly well for water bombing.

These were sold in in December 2012 to the American company Columbia Helicopter. The company would, among other things, use them for fire.

– They were taken in 2013, they said that they would use them for heavy transport and firefighting, says Sofia Karlberg, head of communications at the National Defence and Security Export Agency which manages the sale of defense equipment.

Vertol is a abbreviation for Vertical Take Off and Landing. The model has two blades, one front and one rear, which gives it particularly large load capacity and precision. The ten helicopters constituted Armed Forces Helicopter 4 systems, which they decided to settle for around ten years ago.

As the delivery of the new helicopter 14 system seriously delayed the Armed Forces have now, therefore, only three helicopters that could be used water bombing.

Allan Widman (FP) , a member of the Defence Committee, is critical to Vertol helicopters dismantled before new helicopters are in place.

– The had the strongest lift force of all in the Swedish Navy. As long as they existed, they were the first choice in forest fire fighting, he said.

He believes that they were sold to finance Helicopter 14 bet, which drags on.

– We have been going on for over ten years with a helicopter that does not seem to be finished. And as long as the trend just continues it will cost a lot of money. It allows the Armed Forces to finance this are forced to dispose of fine helicopters, says Allan Widman.

But according to Michael Abrahamsson on the Armed Forces information staff is the main reason for the settlement that the helicopters were old.

– nor does it fulfill the Armed Forces’ future operational requirements, and it is difficult to deploy many helicopter systems simultaneously. Since it is unfortunate that the other helicopters were delayed, he says.

He also says that water bombing is not “top priority” for the Armed Forces.

– Then we’re doing a conversion to the new systems have priority has been that one should cope with the Armed Forces own business, says Mikael Abrahamsson.

has the old helicopter systems are phased out too quickly?

– It depends on how you interpret it. It is the policy decision that says we should primarily have helicopters for its own operations. We have helicopters for the tasks the Armed Forces have to solve.