on the Danube and Tisza, helicopters saved the lives of dozens of people in the 2010 Kolontár mud disaster. The present has followed the future as H145M light and H225M medium helicopters procured from Airbus Helicopters will be replaced by helicopters procured from the Soviet Union and overhauled and minimally modernized in Russia under the Force Development Program. Hungary ordered twenty H145M helicopters in the following configurations: • ten LUH (Light Utility Helicopter) designed to transport soldiers, light freight and for MEDEVAC (medical evacuation – evacuation of wounded from the battlefield) • five SAR (Search and Rescue) versions, equipped with a high-performance winch system
• five MP (Multi Purpose). These helicopters are multi-purpose and can be armed with the HForce weapon system. So far, eleven helicopters have arrived in Hungary in a mixed configuration. Two of them serve the training of Hungarian helicopter designers at the manufacturer in Donauwörth. The training for the light helicopters has already been completed by nearly 100 maintenance personnel and helicopter pilots. Before participating in the media day, they accumulated a flight time of 1,288 hours and 3 minutes and 3,937 take-offs. The H225M Caracal is also a multi-purpose helicopter. In addition to troops and cargo-carrying capabilities and Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) missions, they also have fire support capabilities. Hungary has
Eurocopter AS350 Écu and Zlin 242L
102
