This morning, the Armed Forces of Malta officially inaugurated their second twin engine AW (AgustaWestland) 139 helicopter at Air Wing Base, Luqa. Minister for Home Affairs and National Security Carmelo Abela, Parliamentary Secretary for EU Funds and 2017 Presidency Ian Borg together with AFM Commander Jeffrey Curmi welcomed this new state of the art equipment which will continue to strengthen the border control capacity of AFM.
In his address, Minister Abela announced that Government has already invested a total of over 60 million euro co-financed by the EU external border fund in assets for the Air Wing. He reiterated that this investment include the acquisition of two Augusta Westland Helicopters and the signing of a third, costing over 13 million euro each together with the commissioning for a third AFM airplane, another investment of over 13 million euro. Hon. Abela stated that these assets reaffirm the Government's commitment to use modern assets to address humanitarian and security exigencies.
"Such state-of-the art equipment would not mean much without the skilled men and women needed to fly them. We have also invested more than 4.5 million euros in extensive training programmes for pilots and crew. It is a pleasure to welcome new members to the squadron who have just completed demanding courses in Italy", reiterated Minister Abela.
He remarked the extensive work being carried out by our service members in national or EU missions such as Frontex Operation Triton to safeguard Europe's Southern Borders. In this regard, this year, AFM fixed-wing aircraft have flown more than 50,000 nautical miles. AFM pilots were involved in more than 550 border-related missions, nearly 300 of which were under the auspices of Frontex Operation Triton.
The Minister for Home Affairs thanked Italian Minister for Defence Hon. Roberta Pinotti who attended the ceremony as part of her short visit in Malta."Malta and Italy armed forces have a special rapport. We share a rich history, we have an excellent bilateral relationship and we look forward to even greater collaboration in the months and years ahead", Mr Abela said.
Parliamentary Secretary Ian Borg said this Government was committed in making sure that EU funded projects are implemented successfully. He singled out other projects financed in the past 2 years and that have helped to modernise AFM’s technology, premises and border control equipment, ultimately ensuring an increased security for us all. Parliamentary Secretary Borg said that the €75 million in EU funds - in relation to the Internal Security Fund – which have been allocated to Malta and approved by the European Commission yesterday, will strengthen all this and will guarantee a safer environment all around. Amongst other things, this investment will see the construction of a new Joint Operations Centre and other ancillary facilities for the AFM as well as 2 new Hangars and procurement of a third twin-engine helicopter, explained Dr. Borg.
Following an inspection of the Honour Guard, Brigadier Jeffrey Curmi also addressed those present. He explained how the AFM is undergoing extensive modernization thanks to good use of EU funds . The Commander continued by saying that this helicopter ‘has been designed to meet our stringent requirements and incorporates innovative equipment and capabilities. Special features include an enhanced situational awareness capability for both pilots and operators, as well as a complete integration concept of the electronic flight bag with the mission system’. He thanked the ministers present for their support and personally thanked the Project Leader, the Logistics and Procurement Branch as well as others especially the Air Wing pilots and technicians for taking up the challenge with enthusiasm.
The AW 139 is an intermediate twin-engine helicopter that features one of the largest cabins in its category for enhanced mission flexibility and crew comfort. In addition to the standard performance the characteristics found on board Augusta Westland’s new generation helicopters, the rotary wing platform acquired by the AFM is specifically equipped to conduct Maritime Border Patrol Missions and SAR Operations.