The Bundeswehr has contracted with Rheinmetall to take care of, keep and restore Germany’s Sikorsky CH-53G transport helicopters at two further bases. Beginning in March 2022, the corporate has been supporting the German Air Drive at Laupheim in Baden-Württemberg and Holzdorf-Schönewalde on the border of Saxony-Anhalt and Brandenburg, conducting pre-flight inspections and working a complete of three service bays for partial work phases on the sixty fourth Helicopter Squadron. Price a determine within the decrease two-digit million-euro vary, the contract with Rheinmetall Aviation Companies GmbH runs for 3 years in two heaps. Rheinmetall has been sustaining CH-53G helicopters on behalf of the German Air Drive ever since November 2020. As deliberate, the corporate took over upkeep operations at Diepholz Air Base in Decrease Saxony in March 2021.
The primary German-built CH-53G Mittlerer Transporthubschrauber helicopter flew from Speyer on 11 October 1971 and was delivered to the Erprobungsstelle der Bundeswehr 61 flight check heart at Manching on 1 December 1971. The German obtained 110 sort CH-53Gs, derivatives of the CH-53D, between 1971 and 1975. 108 helicopters had been in-built Germany by VFW-Fokker. The primary flight by a German CH-53G was made in 1971, adopted in March 1973 by the supply of the primary machines to Heeresfliegerregiment (HFlgRgt, Military Aviation Corps Regiment) 35 in Mendig, and shortly afterwards to the newly fashioned Military Aviation Corps Regiment 15 primarily based at Rheine and Military Aviation Corps Regiment 25 primarily based at Laupheim. German Military Aviation Corps items have carried out a variety of worldwide missions beneath the auspices of NATO and the UN, offering transport for members of UNSCOM in Iraq, serving in Kosovo with KFOR, with IFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and extra lately with ISAF in Afghanistan.
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On 1 January 2013, all Military Aviation Corps CH-53Gs had been transferred to the German Air Drive and integrated into Helicopter Wing 64. The sixty fourth Helicopter Squadron is stationed in Laupheim the place, along with its air transport group at Holzdorf-Schönewalde, it operates 66 CH-53G helicopters, an plane which has been within the Bundeswehr stock since 1972. In all instances, the work Rheinmetall carries out is immediately embedded within the constructions of the sixty fourth Helicopter Squadron. Overcoming rival bids in a request for tenders, the Düsseldorf-based built-in know-how group’s subsidiary Rheinmetall Aviation Companies GmbH (RAS) will now be finishing up upkeep operations at Laupheim and Holzdorf-Schönewalde. Through the 2010s, German was reportedly contemplating choices for changing its getting old CH-53G fleet, with candidates together with the Chinook and the CH-53K mannequin.
Based mostly in Bremen, Rheinmetall Aviation Companies GmbH was based in 2019 for the Group’s strategic cooperation with Sikorsky in pursuit of the Heavy Transport Helicopter procurement programme, with RAS in command of upkeep, repairs, coaching and documentation. Rheinmetall and Sikorsky have been actively cooperating in varied procurement initiatives ever since 2009. Experience acquired alongside the best way has been profitably utilized on behalf of the Bundeswehr for the reason that begin of 2021 at Diepholz Air Base, the place Rheinmetall Aviation Companies GmbH helps the German Air Drive with two full-service upkeep bays. Having received the newest order, Rheinmetall will now be supporting the German Air Drive wherever CH-53G helicopters are dwelling primarily based. Because of Rheinmetall’s already established native presence at these bases, the Bundeswehr stands to learn enormously from this partnership within the medium time period.
