Zambia upgrades with Enstroms

The helicopters were acquired in a deal signed between US aircraft manufacturer Enstrom Helicopter Corporation (EHC) and the ZAF early in 2023. EHC has already trained some ZAF helicopter pilots and maintenance technicians to provide life extension servicing for the aircraft.

ZAF commander lieutenant-general Oscar Nyoni said the helicopters will be deployed to carry out multiple tasks beyond routine training and utility missions:

“These helicopters will serve a multitude of crucial tasks like the training of pilots, deployment in search and rescue, medical evacuation, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) anti-poaching and anti-smuggling operations,” Nyoni said.    

Enstrom chief executive officer Dennis Martin said the company is proud to be partnering with Zambia through the provision of multi-mission helicopters: “Beyond just typical uses like pilot training and utility flight missions, these versatile helicopters will be used for missions like anti-poaching and public safety (operations). They are going to be productive assets for the Zambian people,” he said.

Powered by a Rolls-Royce 250-C20W turbo-shaft engine, the Enstrom 480B light utility helicopter has a maximum cruise speed of 211 km/h and a flight range of 700km while carrying loads of up to 1,292kg.

The acquisition of the two Enstrom 480B choppers followed shortly after the Zambian Air Force received two used Bell 412 helicopters under a US$80 million grant provided by the US Department of Defense for the acquisition of up to four utility helicopters.

The ZAF already operates some Augusta-Bell 412, Bell 205 and Bell 206 variants. Apart from US-made helicopters, the ZAF also operates a mix of Russian-made helicopter models such as the Mil Mi-8, Mil Mi 17 and the Chinese-made Harbin Z-9, which is derived from the French-made Eurocopter AS-365 Dauphin which is built under license in China.

The increase in the tempo of acquisitions from US manufacturers and through US funding marks a departure from decades-old Zambian dependence on Chinese defence equipment manufacturers to supply national security equipment needs.