PAF's Search & Rescue squadron re-equipped with Agusta copters

[SQ8]

Is there a commonality betweenAW139 and T 129? If so is this an indicator of things to come? Response appreciated.
A

Both are completely different platforms with a different baseline architecture.
The T-129 is based on the A-129 which is a very late 70 - late 80s military design and concept. The AW-139 is based off a commercial platform finalized in the late 90s so are not just generations apart in design but also differ in core audience.
They were never built linked or designed linked unlike the UH-1 and Cobra.

 

[khanasifm]

View attachment 462363

During pak day flight past 3 were shown ??

 

[Bilal Khan (Quwa)]

Is there a commonality betweenAW139 and T 129? If so is this an indicator of things to come? Response appreciated.
A

Nope but emphasis of the AW139 is to replace the PAF's Alouette IIIs, possibly even the Army's too. It does use the PT6 engine platform, for which we have experience and infrastructure via Bell 412, Grand Caravan EX, King Air 350ER, etc.

 

[Wolfhunter]

Nice to see Pakistan Air force developing CSAR element, does Pakistan Navy have the same?

 

[syed_yusuf]

Couple of years ago I had a discussion with just retired paf officer involved in aw139 eval . He told me that paf requested 13 as initial batch more to be requested later

 

[muhammadali233]

No, they are not. India produced them under license however, along with SA-315B Lamas.
That experience I think helped them with their domestic helicopter program down the line.

As much as i remember reading al IIIs were produced in pak

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

If our Military has a size of 1 Million

• For every 100,000 Troops there should be 35 AW139 Helicopters for their protection and support

So for 1 Million we are looking at inventory of 350 Helicopters split across 70 choppers per province

• For 500 Thousand soldiers 175 Helicopters

• Minimum Support Level required, gunship cover , Carrying injured troops providing supplies (Water , food etc or ammo)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
But clearly we are flying some dinasors
example Aerospatiale SA.316 Alouette III



The wiki figures look bloated so removed that stats figure from my post

 

[khanasifm]

At least 3 bought by paf ??

 

[Mr.Cringeworth]

Montral

quite interesting you're living in Montreal and can't even spell it right.
something seems fishy here @Oscar .

 

[khanasifm]

View attachment 463150

At least 3 bought by paf ??

Latest modp report lists 4 aw-139 bought for $78 million May include training setup spares etc next batch may be less Av price is around 10 million same as mi-17 ish

 

[STRANGER BIRD]

 

[Captain77W]

Is Domestic production of these babies in Pakistan a possibility in the near future?

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

What location in North America would that be?

That would be somewhere in india America