With much of the country consisting of rugged, mountainous terrain, Switzerland’s armed forces face some unique challenges in performing even the most regular of duties. In particular, the Swiss Air Force has to contend with the rugged nature of the countryside and also the associated unpredictable weather conditions encountered in the Alpine region. The Air Force operates a varied fleet of aircraft, all of which must be suited to the demands of flying in mountainous terrain. Helicopters are essential to the operation, performing a variety of vital roles including utility transport and mountain search and rescue.
Backbone of the Swiss light helicopter fleet for many years has been the Aerospatiale Alouette III. This incredibly successful helicopter originated in France, as a development of the Alouette II, and entered French military service in 1960. Production stretched to over 2000 aircraft, manufactured in France, Switzerland, Romania and India (where it is known as the Chetak and production continues to this day). The Alouette remains in service, albeit in dwindling numbers, with the aircraft being exported to countless military and civilian operators throughout the globe, serving as far afield as Argentina, Australia, Indonesia and South Africa.
Powered by a single Turbomeca Artouste IIIB turboshaft engine, the Alouette exhibited excellent performance in the mountain rescue role, and this attracted the attention of the Swiss Air Force, who procured a total of 84 aircraft - 24 built in France and 60 assembled in Switzerland. These aircraft supplemented and eventually replaced the Alouette IIs previously operated, and performed a variety of roles, including demanding mountain search and rescue missions. In addition to their role as light transport and SAR helicopters, the Alouettes were also used to train new pilots to fly helicopters. With its excellent external load carrying ability, the Alouette also found use as a fire-fighting helicopter, carrying an external bucket to attack forest fires.
By 2004, a total of 32 Alouette IIIs remained in service and the Swiss Air Force officially announced a requirement for a replacement for the Alouette III. The requirement was filled by an order for 20 Eurocopter EC135/EC635 helicopters, with the contract being signed in 2006. The batch of 20 aircraft ordered was composed of two EC135P2+ VIP transport helicopters and 18 EC635P2+ aircraft for utility and advanced training. The two EC135s and the first two EC635 airframes were to be assembled by Eurocopter at Donauworth, with the remainder of the batch being assembled by the Swiss firm RUAG at Alpnach.
The EC635 was developed by Eurocopter as a military version of its successful EC135. It is a twin engined helicopter, able to carry up to eight people, and designed for troop and cargo transport, along with medical evacuation and battlefield support. So far, the only customers for the EC635 have been Jordan (14 airframes) and Switzerland (18 airframes), however in 2008 the Iraqi government announced an intention to order a substantial number of EC635s.
A unique feature of the EC635 is the provision of cabin access via two lateral sliding doors and two large rear doors. In conjunction with the enclosed Fenestron tail rotor, these doors provide excellent and safe access to the 4.6 cubic-meter cargo hold. The obstacle free interior can be fitted with several interchangeable seating configurations or medical equipment, meaning the aircraft are easily adaptable for a variety of roles.
The designation of the aircraft for Switzerland is EC635P2+. The “P2”part of the designation refers to the power plant chosen (Pratt and Whitney PW206B2 turbine engines), and the “+” indicates a strengthened floor for military operations. The first aircraft of the Swiss batch to fly was T-353, a Eurocopter built example, which took to the sky on 23rd May 2007. Later that year, the first of 16 assembly kits arrived at RUAG’s Alpnach facility for assembly. The first Swiss built example (T-355) flew just over a year later in June 2008.
The Swiss Air Force accepted its first EC635 (T-353) in March 2008, and the first Swiss built example was handed over in June the same year. Since then, deliveries have continued apace, with eleven aircraft (T-353-363) being in service by May 2009. A further aircraft (T-364) is currently undergoing pre-delivery testing with RUAG at Alpnach, and will shortly be delivered. Deliveries are expected to be completed by the beginning of 2010.
Aside from the EC135P2+ VIP helicopters, which are operated by Lufttransportdienst des Bundes at Bern-Belp airport, the aircraft delivered so far are operated by Lufttransportgeschwader 2 (LTG-2) at Alpnach Airbase, currently serving alongside the remaining Alouette IIIs. The EC635 will gradually take over from the Alouette fleet, and perform the same roles, including SAR, fire-fighting and training. Although the airframe is capable of carrying external weapons, there are currently no plans for the Swiss helicopters to be armed.
Although the Air Force is receiving a much smaller number of EC635s than the number of Alouettes being retired, it is intended that the newer aircraft will fly higher numbers of annual hours, and require less intensive maintenance than the aircraft they replace. The EC635 is also capable of flying in weather which would have grounded the Alouette. An added bonus in the training role is that the EC635 has similar avionics and instruments to the Super Puma and Cougar helicopters also operated by the Swiss Air Force, providing an easier transition for new pilots.
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