British Puma helicopters make last flight after 50 years of operation

Recently, on 31 March, the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom completed the decommissioning of Puma multi-role helicopters, which have been in service since 1971. At the time of decommissioning, the RAF had 23 aircraft upgraded to the HC2 standard.

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A few months earlier, the main airbase in Benson had begun to withdraw helicopters for storage. Along with the Puma, 14 of the oldest CH-47 Chinooks in the British fleet were to be retired.

A British SA 330 Puma. Illustration: Royal Air Force

Traditionally for the RAF (Royal Air Force), on 26 March, the Puma made a farewell flight over the places where they were actively used, including Northern Ireland, Cranwell, Halton, Honington, Shawbury and Stanford air bases.

The first Pumas were delivered to the British Army on 29 January 1971. During their service, these helicopters took part in combat operations in Iraq, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Venezuela and peacekeeping missions, including flood relief in Mozambique and Jamaica in 2000 and 1988 respectively.

Since 2008, the Puma fleet has undergone a major upgrade. The 24 helicopters received new Turbomeca Makila engines, digital autopilot, ballistic armour and new protection systems. The Puma HC2 has a maximum speed of 300 km/h and a range of up to 1500 km with additional fuel tanks.

Source: The War Zone