The Maritime Squadron and the Air Wing of the Armed Forces of Malta have embarked on the final phase of a project to integrate an Alouette ALIII helicopter with the landing and replenishment facilities aboard Patrol Boat P61 - the biggest AFM patrol boat.
The patrol boat was built to AFM requirements nine years ago, but has never regularly used a helicopter, despite having a flight deck.
The project, which comprises three phases, commenced in April 2013. In the first phase, which was co-financed by the European External Borders Fund (EBF), the AFM contracted the Australian company Prism Defence Ltd to conduct a study of the theoretical ship-helicopter operating limits (SHOL) for the Alouette-P61 combination.
In addition, the vessel was upgraded with a number of systems required to support the conduct of flight operations.
The second and third phases of the project are being supported by national funding and involve the classroom training of the personnel involved and the conduct of practical flight trials and training of the embarked flight deck teams and bridge teams as well as the training of two AFM instructor pilots in the conduct of deck launches and recoveries.
The final practical phase of the project is now underway and the helicopter conducted its first landings and take-offs from aboard P61 yesterday while the vessel was moored alongside at the Enemalta Power Station Quay in Marsaxlokk.
The AFM said these initial trials have enabled personnel to train in a relatively benign environment and build up confidence levels in handling the task of bringing an aircraft aboard in a safe and controlled manner.
Training has included exercises in preparing the vessel to receive the aircraft, lashing the aircraft down on deck, the communications required to coordinate flight operations and emergency drills related to aircraft fires and ditching.
Training will continue alongside for the remainder of this week with the intention being to conduct the first underway trials at the beginning of next week.
"When complete, this training will provide an initial operating capability to the AFM which will permit the recovery, replenishment and launch of the ALIII helicopter aboard P61 and also ensure that flight crews are qualified to operate the ALIII helicopter from the flight decks of other warships and civilian vessels," the AFM said.
Pictures: AFM/Lt Col A. Mallia
