The UK is to bolster its commitment to the relief effort in Nepal with the deployment of three Royal Air Force Boeing CH-47 Chinook HC3 heavy-lift helicopters.
A Boeing C-17 strategic airlifter has already been used to transport urgently needed equipment and personnel to the Himalayan nation following the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck on 25 April.
The quake destroyed most of the country’s already poor transport infrastructure and this, coupled with its mountainous terrain, is rendering the distribution of aid a logistical challenge.
The UK’s decision to send the Chinooks will significantly bolster the air-lift capacity in Nepal.
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It also marks a significant operational deployment for the HC3 variant, which is thought to have been selected for the mission thanks to the additional range offered by its larger fuel tanks.
An initial example has already been dismantled and moved from its RAF Odiham base to RAF Brize Norton for onward transportation to New Delhi in India, via a chartered Antonov freighter. This is likely to depart on 30 April, with two further CH-47s following over the coming days.
Flightglobal understands that five crews for the helicopters will also be deployed, likely to be for a period of around two months.
The service is considering whether crews will fly missions using supplementary oxygen supplies, given the high altitudes likely to be encountered.
The UK Ministry of Defence says it cannot confirm the deployment and “continues to look at all options”.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
