#1624 Puma HC2, PUMA 50th
Description
Squadron Prints Lithograph No. 1624 - XW224, Puma HC2, 50th Anniversary, Royal Air Force.
On 29 January 1971, the first two Royal Air Force Puma helicopters, XW198 and XW199, were delivered to the Royal Air Force. Fast forward to 2021 and the Puma is celebrating 50 years of outstanding service. A versatile medium support helicopter with the capability to transport troops, cargo and casualties, the Puma has seen operational service across the globe during the last five decades, including Northern Ireland, Belize, Venezuela, Iraq, Yugoslavia, Zaire and, most recently, Operation TORAL in Afghanistan. During Operation GRANBY, the first Gulf War, the Puma flew over 1,200 sorties, carried more than 4,000 troops and evacuated over 160 casualties. Never failing to deliver, the Puma maintained the same excellent record on Operation TORAL - in 2020 alone, it carried over 11,000 passengers and moved almost 150 tonnes of freight as part of the NATO mission. The Puma has also been used during humanitarian and disaster relief missions around the world such as during the 2000 Mozambique floods and the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean in September 2017, as well as peacekeeping operations such as in Zimbabwe and the Persian Gulf. The rapid deployability of the Puma played a critical role in these operations - two aircraft can be quickly loaded into the back of a C-17 and can be reassembled and on task within just 4 hours of arriving at their destination. Across the UK, the Puma has demonstrated its adaptability supporting flood relief efforts for many years, forming part of the security arrangements for the 2012 Olympics and was integral to the UK’s initial response to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Operation RESCRIPT saw Puma helicopters deployed to Northern Scotland to provide support to NHS Scotland as the Scottish Ambulance Service developed its own ability to conduct COVID-Secure medical evacuations from the remote highlands and islands. Most recently, the Puma has returned from providing enduring support to Operation TORAL in Afghanistan for more than six years. The life-saving lift capability of the Puma helicopter was provided to NATO personnel as part of the ongoing Resolute Support Mission. The Puma Force also continues to hold a high state of readiness to respond swiftly to any calls for assistance, whether in the UK or overseas. In Royal Air Force service the Puma is today flown by 28 (Army Cooperation) Squadron, as part of the joint Puma and Chinook Operational Conversion Unit, and by 22 Squadron as the Rotary Wing Operational Evaluation Unit. Operationally the aircraft is flown by 33 and 230 Squadrons, collectively known as the Puma Force. After 50 years of service, XW224 is one of 23 Puma helicopters still flying operationally with the Puma Force at RAF Benson.
You may also like
-
RIAT 2023 mug Me262, F-4E, S208M, Hawk, KC-135R
58-0100; 8810; D-IMTT; 01501; MM61980RAF Fairford