By
the A.M. Costa Rica
staff
On Friday, the four UH-IST
helicopters donated by the U.S.
Air Training Program arrived at
Juan
Santamaría Airport in
Alajuela*. Those
helicopters will be transferred
to the Air Surveillance Service
of the Ministry of Public
Security until 2021.
According to the U.S. Embassy,
the United States Government
will be in charge of the
aircraft for two years, during
which time it will watch over
its maintenance, purchase spare
parts and train the pilots and
maintenance managers, while the
Air Surveillance Service will
assume the costs operations.
The total value of this project
amounts to $48 million dollars
and includes the four
helicopters, their
reconditioning, maintenance,
spare parts and training for
members of the Air Surveillance
Service.
The helicopters arrived aboard
the giant Globemaster C-17
plane. The UH-IST helicopters
have a capacity of 15 people
(three crew and 12 passengers),
reach a maximum speed of 205
kilometers per hour and have a
coverage range of 182 nautical
miles. They carry tow
motors and have a load capacity
of 7,306 pounds.
On arrival of the Globemaster,
the first few days will be spent
in the assembly the aircraft and
flight tests. Training of pilots
and maintenance crews will be
ongoing and a team of 20
aviation experts will remain in
Base 2 until the conclusion of
the program.
According to the Ministry of
Security, these helicopters will
increase the capacity of the Air
Surveillance Service to provide
air support in emergency
response, humanitarian aid,
transportation of equipment and
personnel to more remote areas,
preventive patrols and maritime
and air interdictions. The
UH-IST can operate in
mountainous areas and in
variable conditions, ideal for
the diverse geography of Costa
Rica.
"Its main goal is to support the
Costa Rican government with the
strengthening of its operations
to combat illegal drug
trafficking and criminal air and
maritime activities, as well as
increase the country's capacity
to deal with natural disasters
and humanitarian crises," said
the Ministry in its statement.
The training program started in
2009 and was developed by the
U.S. Bureau of International
Narcotics and Law Enforcement
Affairs, in partnership with the
government of Costa Rica.
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U.S.
Embassy and U.S.
Army courtesy
photos
The
total value of
this project
amounts to $48
million dollars
and includes the
four helicopters,
their
reconditioning,
maintenance, spare
parts and training
for members of the
Air Surveillance
Service.
The U.S.
Bureau of
International
Narcotics and
Law
Enforcement
Affairs will
continue to
support the
Air
Surveillance
Service with
other plans
and projects
once the
helicopter
program is
completed.
In April 2018,
the U.S.
Bureau of
International
Narcotics and
Law
Enforcement
Affairs
donated three
vessels from
the U.S. Coast
Guard of
Hawaii and
Baltimore.
At that time
Ambassador
Sharon Day
said those
patrol boats
will help to
promote the
effort of the
National Coast
Guard Service
of Costa Rica
to safeguard
its territory
from drug
trafficking,
illegal
fishing, human
trafficking,
and other
illicit
activities and
allow the
country to
watch over its
entire ocean
territory.
---------------
What
other types of
military equipment
could the United
States Government
donate to Costa
Rica? We would
like to know your
thoughts on this
story. Send your
comments to: news@amcostarica.com
*Link
to reach the map.
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