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| The Sea King Helicopter That Ukraine Received From Britain Begins Operations |
International Military - British donated Sea King helicopters have made their official debut in Ukraine. These helicopters are active in Ukraine, less than two months after London announced that it would hand over these three helicopters to Kyiv. Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov posted a video on his social media account showing the Sea King helicopter donning the blue and yellow national colors and the Ukrainian Naval Aviation insignia.
In the video, it can be seen that the helicopter is carrying out a simulation of a combat search and rescue operation (CSAR) to save a fellow pilot whose plane has crashed. The British Ministry of Defense previously announced that the Royal Navy (UK Navy) had trained 10 Ukrainian crew members and support technicians on a six-week course to operate Sea King helicopters.
In Royal Navy service, the Sea King performs roles as an anti-submarine warfare (ASW), search and rescue (SAR), air early warning (AEW), and multipurpose transport helicopter.
Quoting from The Drive, the Sea King seen in the video shows that this helicopter was one of the SAR models previously operated by the Royal Navy until it was retired in 2016. This British version of the Sea King helicopter was produced by Westland Helicopter under license from Sikorsky, United States.
The Sea King helicopter is manned by four personnel, including the pilot, copilot and two other crew members. The helicopter can carry up to 22 passengers or a combination of passengers and cargo.
The Sea King is powered by two Rolls-Royce Gnome H1400-1 turboshaft engines, each developing 1,400 ps. The helicopter that can land on the surface of the water has a maximum speed of 207 km/h, with an operating range of around 1,230 km.