The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uganda has placed an order for a GrandNew light twin and one W-3A Sokol intermediate twin engine helicopter. These aircraft, which are to be delivered in 2015, will be operated by the Uganda Police to perform law enforcement missions across the nation.

The contract was awarded to PZL-Swidnik, an AgustaWestland company, following a rigorous evaluation process against the demanding requirements of the customer and includes a comprehensive training and support package. The GrandNew, which will be assembled at the AgustaWestland plant in Vergiate, Italy, was chosen for its unparalleled performance and advanced technology providing superior mission capabilities and safety in adverse operating conditions. The GrandNew will be equipped with a cargo hook, search light and loud speaker system.  The W-3A Sokol, the most cost-effective aircraft in its weight category will be assembled at the PZL-Swidnik facility in Swidnik, Poland. This aircraft will be equipped with a cargo hook, rescue hoist, search light, loudspeaker system, rappelling kit, FLIR and provisions for firefighting equipment and an emergency floatation system.

This latest achievement continues the success of Finmeccanica – AgustaWestland and PZL-Swidnik types in the African commercial and parapublic market to perform a wide range of missions including law enforcement, emergency medical services, VIP transport, offshore transport and harbour pilot shuttle.

The GrandNew is the fastest and most advanced light twin in the market with state-of-the-art digital avionics for single/dual pilot Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operation and a four-axis dual duplex digital autopilot coupled with a Flight Director. In addition the helicopter is equipped with the Chelton Flight Systems’ Flight-Logic Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS), Synthetic Vision and Highway In the Sky (HITS) embedded functions to deliver ultimate situational awareness and groundbreaking automated flight management capabilities. The new glass-cockpit with a redesigned layout provides excellent visibility and an ergonomic working space for the pilots. A new Radio Management System (RMS) permits the integrated management of radio communication and navigation systems of the helicopter while the Integrated Display System (IDS) provides aircraft/engine data monitoring, crew alert and maintenance data pages. Orders for over 330 helicopters from the Grand series have been placed by nearly 210 customers in almost 40 countries worldwide, to perform many tasks including law enforcement, VIP/corporate and passenger transport, EMS, SAR, electronic newsgathering, harbour pilot shuttle, maritime patrol and water pollution monitoring.

The W-3A Sokol is an intermediate twin engine helicopter with a maximum take-off weight of 6,400 kg  and is capable of carrying up to 14 people, as well as cargo. The helicopter is powered by two PZL-10W turboshaft engines with each engine rated at 662 kW for take-off. It has proven to be a highly effective, rugged and reliable aircraft capable of operating in all types of climates and environmental conditions. The W-3A Sokol can perform a wide range of missions including law enforcement, passenger transport, troop transport, air ambulance, search and rescue, firefighting and other utility roles. More than 160 Sokols have already been sold to over 20 customers in more than 10 countries worldwide.