The Paraguayan government has added four refurbished Bell UH-1H helicopters from a donation by the government of Taiwan, which will enter service with the Paraguayan Air Force’s Helicopter Air Group.
The reception ceremony was led by the Commander-in-Chief of the Paraguayan Armed Forces, President Santiago Peña; together with the Minister of National Defense, General (R) Óscar González; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rubén Ramírez; and the Commander of the Paraguayan Air Force, General Julio Fullaondo. The delivery was made by Taiwan’s ambassador to the country, José Chih-Cheng Han.
Taiwan handled the transfer of the UH-1Hs from Asia to Paraguay, as well as their overhaul, with Taiwanese mechanics instructing Paraguayan Air Force mechanics in the maintenance of the aircraft.
The PAF now has a total of eight UH-1H helicopters, used for aeromedical evacuations, wildfire fighting, anti-narcotics and organized crime operations, as well as search and rescue missions.
General Fullaondo highlighted the versatility and usefulness of these aircraft, which the PAF has been operating since the 1990s: “After three decades and more than 20,000 flight hours, the UH-1H has been and continues to be a fundamental tool in our mission, contributing to national defense and saving countless lives.”
At a press conference, he emphasized that the donation “represents the strong and advanced relationship between two brother nations.” He also noted that the helicopters arrived with several batches of spare parts to keep them operational for a long time.
Ambassador José Chih-Cheng Han stated at the press conference: “President Santiago Peña has expressed a clear interest in strengthening the modernization of the Paraguayan Armed Forces, bolstering internal security, and reinforcing border protection. Taiwan, as a friend of Paraguay, is honored to join this important effort. This cooperation has been carried out in close collaboration with the Ministry of Defense and the Paraguayan Armed Forces.”
In addition, Minister of National Defense Óscar González stressed that this donation is part of the modernization and renewal program being implemented by President Peña’s government to “…equip the armed forces with all the necessary elements to confront new threats.”
The handover ceremony, held at Ñu Guasu Air Base, concluded with a flyover of the four newly incorporated Embraer A-29 Super Tucano attack aircraft of the Paraguayan Air Force.
Photographs: Ministry of Defense of Paraguay.
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