The deployment of military helicopters from Spain and other allied countries in Romania

@DefAviation ES 5·13·2024 · 21:47 0

The largest military maneuvers organized each year by the United States Army in Europe began on April 9.

The loading of two Spanish CH-47F Chinook helicopters on a Ukrainian Antonov An-124
Spanish and US soldiers in a simulated shootdown of a Spanish helicopter in Iraq

This exercise is called Defender 24 and has several phases. One of them is Exercise Swift Response 24, the largest airborne operation in Europe since World War II. This exercise takes place simultaneously in several countries and is linked to some national maneuvers, such as the Dacia 24 exercise organized by the Romanian Armed Forces.

Dacia 24 brings together about 2,000 paratroopers from Romania, Germany, Spain, the United States, France and the Netherlands. Dacia 24 is organized by the Romanian Land Forces and the Romanian Air Force, and takes place in several Romanian military installations: the 71st "General Emanoil Ionescu" Air Base in Câmpia Turzii, the Bogata Shooting Range in Turda, the Getica National Combat Training Center in Cincu and the Știuca Shooting Range, as reported DefenseRomania.ro.

This Monday, the German Army has published a series of photos from this exercise. Curiously, the series is headed by four photos of helicopters from the Spanish Army. You can see these photos below.

A Spanish NH-90 transport helicopter of the Maneuver Helicopter Battalion III (BHELMA III), based in Agoncillo (La Rioja), during the Dacia 24 exercise in Romania. The helicopter in the photo is the HT.29-13 (ET-813).

A Spanish CH-47F Chinook heavy helicopter of the Transport Helicopter Battalion V (BHELTRA V), based in Colmenar Viejo (Madrid), during this exercise in Romania. The helicopter is the HT.17-25A (ET-425).

An enlargement of the previous photo, in which we can see a Spanish CH-47F gunner with an M-240 machine gun of 7.62 x 51 mm caliber, in the starboard door of the helicopter.

Two Spanish EC-665 Tigre HAD attack helicopters of the Attack Helicopter Battalion I (BHELA I), stationed at a Romanian air base. Behind we see two NH-90s, probably also Spanish. The Tiger in the foreground carries two FZ-Thales FZ233 70mm rocket launchers, with seven rockets each, on its outer mounts. It has two external fuel tanks on its interior supports.

A Spanish EC-665 Tigre HAD in flight over Romania. It is the HA.28-14 (ET-714) and it has the same configuration in its weapons supports that we have seen in the previous photo: tanks external and FZ-Thales FZ233 rocket launchers.

A German Army CH-53GS heavy helicopter, 84+52 (V65-050). These helicopters have been in service with the Heeresflieger (German Army Aviation) since the late 1960s.

Two NH-90s from the German Army, 79+02 (left) and 78+39.

A German Army Airbus EC-135, the D-HABV. Curiously, despite being used by the Heeresflieger, this helicopter has civilian registration and does not carry the classic Iron Cross of German military aircraft.

An IAR 330 transport helicopter of the Romanian Air Force, the 91st, assigned to the 71st "General Emanoil Ionescu" Air Base in Câmpia Turzii. These helicopters are a version of the French Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma manufactured under license in Romania.