THE AIRFORCE - AIRCRAFT - ORYX
Aircraft Stats:
7,62mm MAG Light Machine Gun
Squadrons:
15 Squadron, 17 Squadron, 19 Squadron, 22 Squadron, 87 Helicopter Flying School
Attrition:
12 incidents recorded
Oryx
The Atlas Oryx is a medium-sized utility helicopter manufactured by the Atlas Aircraft Corporation (now Denel Aviation) of South Africa. The Oryx first flew on September 18, 1987 and deliveries commenced in May 1989.
Denel Aviation assembled 51 aircraft. The Oryx is an 8t helicopter with three cockpit crew seats, 16 troop seats or up to 12 VIP seats. It can carry 6,000kg of cargo on the external sling or 3,600kg of freight in the cabin.
It is thought that the basic airframe came from IAR in Romania (which had a licence to produce Pumas) and the Super Puma tail booms, rotors, engines, etc were acquired elsewhere.
In 2006 the SAAF initiated a mid life upgrade for 35 Oryx helicopters to extend their service life to the 2015 - 2020 timeframe. Due to budgetary restrictions, the upgrade will be limited to airframe life extensions, with a limited communications and navigation upgrade. It was initially planned to do a full glass cockpit upgrade.
Project Drummer II, an extension of Project Drummer, initiated in 2006 for the mid-life upgrade of the Oryx helicopter, upgraded 39 Oryx helicopters with an avionics upgrade.
Many of the aircraft were also fitted with a RWR (Radar Warning Receiver) on the cockpit eyebrow window. Susequently, most of the aircraft had the RWR with the new EWSPS (Electronic Warfare Self Protection System). This system is aimed at defeating shoulder launched IR missiles such as the SAM 7. The system comprises the MAWS (Missile Approach Warning System) and the flare dispensing system (120 flares divided into 4 magazines) on the rear fuselage.
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