A video shared on social media confirmed for the first time that Sea King helicopters, promised to Kyiv by the British government at the end of last year, have arrived in Ukraine.
According to information spread on social networks, the video was shot somewhere in the south of Ukraine, which shows how the Ukrainian military conducts short rescue exercises.
A Westland WS-61 Sea King donated by Britain is in Ukrainian service somewhere in the southern part of the country. pic.twitter.com/Ossw65EIaQ
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) January 21, 2023
In fact, Sea King helicopters were in service with both the Royal British Air Force and the British Royal Navy, being suitable for such operations. The British Navy used them until 2018, when it decommissioned the last model on its own.
Manufactured from 1969 to 1995, Sea King helicopters have a crew of 2-4 people, a flight range of 1,230 kilometers and a maximum cruising speed of 207 km/h at sea level, equipped with two Rolls Royce HI 400 -2 Gnome engines.
The helicopters that Great Britain gave to Ukraine can also be used for military operations
These Sea King helicopter models can be equipped with 4 Mark 44, Mark 46 or Sting Ray torpedoes and can carry 4 depth charges for anti-submarine warfare.
Their design also provides for the installation of a machine gun in the area of the aircraft door to increase firepower on “soft” targets. Sea King helicopters were used by the British military during the Falklands War, the Persian Gulf War and the UN intervention in the Balkans in the early 1990s.
Currently, Sea King helicopters are in service with the armed forces of Germany, Norway, India, Pakistan and Egypt. Australia, Belgium and Qatar have also used them in the past.
British Defense Minister Ben Wallace announced on November 23 last year that London would supply Ukraine with 3 Sea King helicopters, which would be the first Western-made helicopters that Kyiv received after the start of the Russian invasion on February 24.
Earlier this January, Britain announced that it would also send Western-made tanks to Ukrainian forces, and Kiev would be given a company of 14 Challenger 2 tanks as part of the largest military aid package prepared by London to date.
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Source: Hot News
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