January 17, 2015 21stcenturyasianarmsrace.com

After eight years of negotiations, Taiwan is finally getting its next-generation utility helicopters.

In December last year, the first four UH-60M Blackhawks for Taiwan’s special forces arrived in Kaohsiung Port.

An additional 56 UH-60M’s are being delivered until 2018 as replacements for Taiwan’s UH-1H Hueys. The deal is worth $3.1 billion.

This transaction is just the latter half of a major helicopter deal that has been in the works since 2002 during the administration of President George W. Bush. It originally included a 2002 request for 30 AH-64D Apaches and in 2005 Taiwan wanted “price and availability data” for 60 utility helicopters.

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09.07.2014 Bundeswehr

Im „Army Aviation Center" in Fort Rucker im US-Bundesstaat Alabama bilden die US Streitkräfte eigene und ausländische Hubschrauber Besatzungen aus. Zurzeit unterrichten dort auch sieben Fluglehrer der Bundeswehr auf der Bell UH-60 -- Blackhawk. Für die deutschen Ausbilder bedeutet dies ein enormer Erfahrungsgewinn. Gleichzeitig werden durch ihren Einsatz sog. Credits erwirtschaftet, die wiederum für deutsche Flugschüler eingesetzt werden können. Pro Jahr nehmen rund 60 Bundeswehrsoldaten an Ausbildungen und Lehrgängen in Fort Rucker teil.

Quelle: Redakion der Bundeswehr 07/14 14E12901

17.03.2014 Noa Fenigstein - IAF

Last week, aircrews from the "Desert Birds" squadron operating "Blackhawk" helicopters met with the Division handling Gaza Strip and discussed continued cooperation between the two sides on the volatile southern front. "The cooperation during the fighting would be better if we knew each other personally"

The "Knights of Round Table" were the military aides of King Arthur. The armor-wearing heroes sat around the round table and made decisions together with trust and equality.

Last week, aircrews from the "Desert Birds" squadron and the Gaza strip Division sat down together, in the tradition of the "Knights of the Round Table" and discussed tightening cooperation between both sides on the southern front.

The home of the "Desert Birds" is Hatzerim airbase and it is often called to missions on the border of the Gaza Strip with the Gaza Division. "Because we are a southern transport-helicopter squadron, the relationship with the Gaza Division forces includes daily interactions", explains Captain Itzik, a pilot in the "Desert Birds" squadron. "We feel that cooperation during fighting periods would be better if we knew each other personally".

"Usually, the Cooperation Unit of the IAF mediates between ground forces and helicopters squadrons", he adds. "But for the first time, we decided to establish direct contact. We received an intelligence briefing, talked about future cooperation and concentrated on lessons from recent events, face-to-face".

True Friendship

The cooperation between the Gaza Division and the "Desert Birds" squadron is extensive and its objectives diverse: from casualty evacuation to transporting combat forces to secret missions that cannot be disclosed. Recently, the two sides began cooperating on" surprise exercises", in which the participants had to execute missions under the psychological pressures at the moment of truth.

The squadron and the Division look forward to future cooperation. "Roundtable Discussions represent a change in communication between us", adds Captain Itzik. "Now that we plan together, there is a push to improve the process and not just the mission".