New presidential helicopter for Khama

The Independence Day fly past on Friday showcased the new bird in which President Ian Khama will be cruising on his errands around the country - the EC225LP Super Puma helicopter.

This follows the recent acquisition of the helicopter by the Botswana Defence Force Air Wing.  Acquired second hand from Spain, the helicopter was delivered last month and according to Air Force Daily, it was flown down aboard an Antonov Airlines An-124 transport aircraft on September 14. The aircraft was on display during the Golden Jubilee celebrations at the National Stadium in Gaborone.

The president has been travelling in Bell 412 manufactured by Bell Helicopter and it was not clear what would become of the older helicopter now that the more superior and luxurious one has arrived. Government spokesperson Jeff Ramsay declined to comment on the matter saying the BDF would be better placed to comment. BDF Protocol and Public Affairs Office had at press time not responded to a questionnaire sent to them on the matter.

The Eurocopter EC225 Super Puma, now known as the Airbus Helicopters H225, is a long-range passenger transport helicopter developed by Eurocopter as the next generation of the civilian Super Puma family. It is a twin-engined aircraft and can carry up to 24 passengers along with 2 crew and a cabin attendant, dependent on customer configuration. The helicopter is marketed for offshore support and VIP passenger transport duties, as well as public service missions, according to Wikipedia.

Air Force Daily reports further that the same helicopter bought for Khama was used by the Spanish Police, having acquired it in 2010 for the National Police Corps Special Operations Group. “In 2013 it was returned to Airbus Helicopters in part payment for a new batch of EC135s for the Spanish police. It was subsequently stored before being bought by Botswana,” the report says.