The pilots of the 22nd Helicopter Squadron use both the splinter-camouflaged HKP15A and the grey maritime HKP15B, as there are no major technical differences between the two variants.
FUTURE OF FLEET
Over the years, the fleet has maintained a strong safety record. Pantesjö said, “Fortunately, we did not have any fatal incidents with the aircraft. We have had hard landings that took months to fix, but these have been resolved without long-term impact.”
However, after two decades of service, the HKP15 fleet faces increasing maintenance challenges. The squadron commander said, “While the aircraft have proven reliable overall, aging systems and limited availability of spare parts are beginning to affect operational readiness. Given the platform’s age and planned retirement timeline, major upgrades are not considered cost-effective. In addition,
it is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive to obtain replacement parts. The future of the platform is closely tied to the upcoming defense budget decisions. We are hoping that we will get enough funding so that we can order new light helicopters.
“When the funding will be clear, I would prefer to acquire the same type that the International Helicopter Training Center at Bückeburg has started to operate. This will reduce the education time in Sweden by three to four months.” The commander does not wish to comment further on the specific type, but it is widely understood to be the Airbus H145M. A decision will have to be made soon, since the HKP15 should leave service around 2030.
rotorpro.com
67
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102
