Helitech Portugal: Questions linger over Portuguese SAR helicopters
Members of the Portuguese Air Force (Força Aérea Portuguesa or FAP) have expressed frustration with the availability of the service’s EH101 Merlin SAR helicopters.
At the Helitech exhibition in Portugal on 5-7 October, the FAP prominently displayed one of the 12 EH101 Merlins it has ordered from AgustaWestland in December 2001.
Since the first aircraft arrived, the Merlins have carried out more than 10,000 flight hours and saved the lives of more than 650 people, playing a key role in the country's ability to provide SAR across a vast region of the Atlantic Ocean.
Portugal is second only to Canada
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