As of today, Friday, December 27, 2024, the Austrian Federal Army is on assistance mission in Styria. After forest fires broke out in steep terrain yesterday evening in the Semriach/Graz area, two army helicopters are now helping the local fire departments to fight the fire. The Austrian Armed Forces are supporting the civilian forces with a Black Hawk S70 and an Agusta Bell 212 transport helicopter.
“The Federal Army is always ready quickly when it is needed. Our trained pilots, together with the civilian emergency services on site, are helping to fight the flames as quickly as possible. I wish our soldiers good luck and all the emergency services much success in their mission,” said Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner.
Helicopter in use
The S-70 “Black Hawk” is a multi-role helicopter with two engines, each producing 1,940 hp. This drive gives the helicopter excellent high mountain capability. The S-70 can particularly exploit this ability when operating in mountainous locations. In order not to have to stay on the ground even in bad weather conditions (winter conditions), this model also has a de-icing system for the rotor blades and the tail rotor. The helicopter has a cruising speed of 280 km/h, a range of 500 kilometers and the external load for extinguishing water is a maximum of 4,000 kilograms.
The Agusta Bell 212 is a medium transport helicopter, has a two-blade main and tail rotor, two turbine engines, a skid landing gear, is instrument-rated and approved for a total of 14 people. Equipped with a cable winch (quickly assembled) and external load hook enables versatile usability. The helicopter has a cruising speed of 162 km/h, a range of 420 kilometers and the external load for extinguishing water is approx. 1,000 kilograms.
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