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26-523: The Portuguese Army maintained its own aviation arm from 1914 to 1952. This arm received a high degree of autonomy in 1937, including its own separate chain of command, although continuing to be administratively connected to the Army. In the early 1950s, the decision was taken to completely separate it from the Army, becoming an entirely independent branch of the Armed Forces . The decision was also taken to separate

52-533: A FLIR camera turret, an infra-red capable search light, SAR weather radar and electronic equipment for Observation Missions. Armed EC635s typically feature the Stand Alone Weapon System (SAWS) kit, which comprises a mission and firing control computer onto which various weapon systems and sensors can be integrated; such weapons have included 12.7 mm gun pods, a 20 mm cannon, 70 mm rockets and ZT3 Ingwe anti-tank missiles. In March 2008,

78-482: A branch, employment of combined forces or parts of a service , below the level of service, military service, or armed service. Eurocopter EC635 The Eurocopter EC635 (now Airbus Helicopters H135M ) is a multi-purpose light helicopter developed by Eurocopter (now Airbus Helicopters ) as a military version of the Eurocopter EC135 . It is a twin-engined aircraft and can carry up to 8 people, including

104-487: A conventional cockpit consisting of a traditional dashboard or a glass cockpit , which utilizes a Thales 'Avionique Nouvelle' suite with MEGHAS Flight Control Display System and active matrix liquid crystal displays . There are four configurations designed by Eurocopter for the EC635. The Troop Transport version can be fitted with utility seats to carry up to 7 troops with a pilot, or passenger seats to carry up to 6 people and

130-464: A pilot. The Medical Evacuation version can carry 1 or 2 litters with up to 5 seated medical workers. The Cargo Transport version has 4.9 m (173.04 ft ) of space for cargo, while the Armed Mission version is equipped with specialist equipment and weapons for combat (such as the 70-mm-rocket launcher FZ233 from Belgian manufacturer Forges de Zeebrugge ). The helicopter can also be fitted with

156-526: Is according to common standard a subdivision of the national armed forces of a sovereign nation or state. The Canadian Armed Forces is the unified armed forces of Canada. While it has three environmental commands - namely the Canadian Army , Royal Canadian Navy , and Royal Canadian Air Force - it remains a single military service. Branch of service (also branch of military service or branch of armed service ) refers, according to NATO standards, to

182-548: Is mounted over the baggage compartment and features a Full Authority Digital Engine Control system. The engines power a fibre-reinforced composite Bearingless Main Rotor (BMR) with four blades, and the familiar Fenestron enclosed tail rotor, both of which reduce vibration and noise levels. Vibration levels are further reduced by a built-in Anti Resonance Isolation System (ARIS). The EC635 can be fitted with either

208-627: The Eurocopter EC135 in the Spanish Army Airmobile Force . Between 2007 and 2012, under an agreement with EMA — Empresa de Meios Aéreos, S. A. , a company owned by the Portuguese government, Army pilots flew EMA's Kamov Ka-32 helicopters in fire-fighting and other public interest missions for the Portuguese Ministry of Internal Administration. Military branch Military branch (also service branch or armed service )

234-707: The Portuguese Naval Aviation from the Navy and to put it under the control of the new independent air branch. The new branch created in 1952, became the Portuguese Air Force , unifying all the Portuguese military aviation assets and operations under a single command. At the same time that the process of the separation of the Portuguese Air Force was being carried away, the Army felt the need to continue to maintain its own light aviation service to support

260-687: The Swiss Air Force received 18 EC635 P2s. The helicopters are to replace their aging fleet of Alouette IIIs in the utility and training role, two of the aircraft are in VIP configuration. In 2009, Iraq bought 24 EC635 T2+ helicopters. The first two were delivered to Iraq on 8 May 2011. The Iraqi Army has used its EC635s in combat against militants of the Islamic State during the Iraqi Civil War . On 12 December 2014, an Iraqi Army EC635 helicopter

286-667: The UALE . The EC635 was first revealed at the Aviation Africa exhibition in May 1998 and the Portuguese Ministry of Defence subsequently signed an agreement for nine EC635 T2 helicopters equipped with Turbomeca Arrius 2B2 engines, at a cost of €35 million in October 1999. Delivery of the first Portuguese aircraft was expected to begin in 2001; however, continual delays in production led to

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312-604: The Air Force). Occasionally, the Air Force established detachments of cooperation that operated under the command of Army units. In the 1980s, based on the experience gained in Africa and the increasingly importance of the helicopter in NATO military operations, a work group was created by the Army's Cavalry Arm Directorate to study and plan the creation of a light aviation unit. On July 12, 1991,

338-695: The General Abrantes Pinto Air Field in the artillery range area of the Army Artillery School at Vendas Novas and with the reception of 22 Piper Super-Cub L-21 observation and liaison planes. Eight of these aircraft started to be permanently based at the Army Artillery School Air Field, being used in the artillery observation role and piloted by artillery arm pilots-observers. The remaining aircraft were only used in maneuvers, being piloted by Air Force pilots. Meanwhile,

364-663: The National Defense Superior Council decided to add a light aviation unit to the Medium Term Forces System ( Portuguese : Sistema de Forças de Médio Prazo ). On June 30, 1993, the Ministry of National Defense approved the addition of the Army Light Aviation Group ( Portuguese : Grupo de Aviação Ligeira do Exército , GALE) to the list of units to be created, and on August 31 the financing of

390-461: The Portuguese Ministry of Defence canceling the contract in August 2002, citing Eurocopter's failure to deliver all aircraft between August 2001 and April 2002 as the reason. Eurocopter claimed that disagreements over the integration of weapons systems on the helicopter were the reason for the cancellation. The Royal Jordanian Air Force agreed to purchase the 9 Portuguese helicopters in October 2002 and

416-631: The Tancos Air Base. During the Portuguese Overseas War (1961-1974), all military air assets were part of the Air Force. These were employed both in independent operations and in cooperation with the land and naval forces, under the coordination of the joint military commands. The Air Force was equipped with assets oriented for the counter-insurgency, including new helicopters that were used to perform joint helicopter operations involving Commandos and Paratroopers (these then being part of

442-678: The UALE was responsible to serve as the administrative parent unit of the Communications Company of the Rapid Reaction Brigade' and to operate and maintain the Tancos airfield. Due to the lack of aircraft, it however never performed air activities, which were supposedly the reason for its existence. The unit was disbanded in the scope of the new Army organization established in July 2015. The unit

468-515: The artillery arm in the observation and direction of fire over targets located beyond the horizon. This need led the Army minister General Abranches Pinto to boost the process of activation of what was intended to be the future Artillery Observation Light Aviation. The process advances in 1952, with the sending of officers for training in the US Army Artillery Aviation, with the construction of

494-485: The competition was eventually cancelled. In June 2012, the Portuguese government officially announced that it would cancel the order of all ten NHI NH90 due to budget cuts, thus compromising the future of the UALE. The pilots and ground crews of the UALE underwent training with the Portuguese Air Force, with pilots undergoing flight training in the PoAF's Alouette III helicopters. The Army's pilot have also received training on

520-536: The concept of Army light aviation evolved and plans were being made to equip it in the future also with helicopters and to give it other missions besides those related with the artillery. The process of the raising of the Army Light Aviation is however terminated in 1955, with the transference of the Piper Super-Cub aircraft to the Air Force, these forming an Army cooperation Liaison and Training Flight based at

546-554: The first aircraft was delivered in July 2003. Jordan ordered a further 4 helicopters in January 2006 and deliveries of all machines were completed in 2007. In April 2006, the Swiss Defence Procurement Agency (Armasuisse) ordered 20 EC635s for the Swiss Air Force , to replace the aging Aérospatiale Alouette III in performing transport and advanced training missions. The first four aircraft were built by Eurocopter, with

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572-535: The lack of a certification to fire HOT 2 anti-tank missiles and the delivery of the helicopters being cited as the official reason. In June 2001, the NHIndustries NH90 TTH was selected for the medium transport role. In 2004, the Portuguese government prepared to open a new competition for the acquisition of light helicopters for both the UALE and the Portuguese Air Force, to replace the Alouette III , but

598-427: The pilot, and a range of military equipment or armaments. The helicopter is marketed for troop transport, medical evacuation, cargo transport, reconnaissance and surveillance and armed combat support missions. The Eurocopter EC635 was developed to meet a Portuguese Army requirement for a light fire support and medical evacuation helicopter, as part of its programme for the raise of a specialist army aviation unit,

624-493: The program. A commission to prepare for the creation of the unit was then created in 1997. On June 1, 2000, the Army Light Aviation Group was officially formed. On July 1, 2006, the Army Light Aviation Group (GALE) was re-designated as Army Light Aviation Unit ( Portuguese : Unidade de Aviação Ligeira do Exército , UALE), as part of the Army's Base Structure and of the Rapid Reaction Brigade . During its existence,

650-594: The remaining 16 being built by RUAG Aerospace in Alpnach , Switzerland, and deliveries were as expected completed between March 2008 and December 2009. The EC635 is based on the Eurocopter EC135 , improving upon the design for military operations and making the helicopter capable of carrying weapons systems. The helicopter is fitted with a choice of powerplants, depending on customer requirements, and can be powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW206B2 (EC635 P2+), or two Turbomeca Arrius 2B2 (EC635 T2+). The powerplant

676-534: Was originally intended to be equipped with nine light utility helicopters and with ten medium transport helicopters. In 1999, the Eurocopter EC635 T1 was acquired for the light utility, anti-tank and reconnaissance role. The EC635 had been specifically developed by Eurocopter precisely to meet the Portuguese Army requirements for its light aviation unit. However, the EC635 program was cancelled in 2002 with

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