EIGHTY-NINE US ARMY HELICOPTERS ARRIVE IN EUROPE

The nine-month heavy deployment will be carried out through a sea port and five airports across Europe.

U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter unloaded from a ship (Photo: US DoD)

According to U.S. Army Europe fact sheet, eighty-nine helicopters and 1,900 soldiers will be deployed to Europe for a nine-month rotation from November 2017 to August 2018.

Aircraft and personnel will came from 1st Air Cavalry Brigade and 1st Cavalry Division, based in  Fort Hood, Texas to support Operation Atlantic Resolve and other training and missions across Europe.

Missions will include medical transport, exercise support and aviation operations throughout Europe to improve interoperability and strengthen relationships with U.S. Allies.

The helicopters will be delivered using Zeebrugge sea port, in Belgium, and five airports (Riga, Latvia; Mihail Kogainiceanu Air Base, Romania; Powidz, Poland, Nuremberg, Germany; and Brussels, Belgium). The arrival of the assets delivered by sea is scheduled for October 19.

Aircrat will include 12 CH-47 Chinooks, 38 UH-60 Black Hawks, 15 HH-60 Black Hawks (MEDEVAC) and 24 AH-64 Apaches.

The brigade headquarters with the largest number of helicopters and personnel assigned will be at Illesheim Air Base, Germany.  In addition, 5 UH-60s and about 60 Soldiers will operate from Lielvarde Air Base, Latvia; 5 UH-60s and about 25 Soldiers from Mihail Kogainiceanu Air Base, Romania; 4 UH-50s, 4 AH-64s and about 90 Soldiers from Powidz, Poland.

Written by Matteo Sanzani