As part of the creation of the Unified System of Aviation Security and Protection of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, the Ministry of Internal Affairs launches the recruitment and training of pilots for the new aviation service.
Such an agreement was reached on Thursday during a meeting between Interior Minister Arsen Avakov and vice-presidents of the Airbus Helicopters company. The parties agreed on the recruitment of pilots into a single system of aviation security and protection of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who will be trained in France, the press service of the Interior Ministry said.
“In November-December Ukraine will receive the first French aircraft for the new air response service. It is important for us that professional rescue specialists provide all the rescue tasks. We are supported by French colleagues in this issue,” he said.
He added that under the terms of the contract, in addition to training crews and instructors who will further train themselves on the basis of new service centers, Ukraine will receive technical support – spare parts, trainers and the construction of an aviation infrastructure system.
As reported, on May 23, 2018, Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov and French Minister for European and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian signed an agreement on the purchase of 55 helicopters produced by Airbus Helicopters for the needs of the Ukrainian Internal Affairs Ministry.
Ukraine expects to receive the first helicopters this year already. The Interior Ministry plans to receive helicopters of three models – Н145, Н125 and Н225. The French-produced helicopters will help the operation of the State Service for Emergency Situations, the National Guard, the National Police and the State Border Service of Ukraine.
The main tasks of helicopter units of the Interior Ministry will be rescue and public order, criminal investigations, anti-terrorist and special missions, state border protection and road safety.
The amount of the transaction between France and Ukraine is 551 million euro. Ukraine will receive these funds through special borrowing at 4.25 percent per annum from the State Treasury of France and the consortium of French banks.
The head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine stressed that the new helicopters would help solve the issue of sanitary aviation, they will evacuate people in the mountains, during fires and floods. In addition, special 10-tonnes helicopters will be used to extinguish fire.
On June 7, the Verkhovna Rada ratified the Agreement between the governments of Ukraine and France on official support in the creation of a unified system of aviation security and protection in Ukraine, within which 55 French helicopters will be purchased for the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.
