Taiwanese Technical Team Complete Helicopter Assembly

After just about two weeks in Belize, a seventeen member team from the Republic of China on Taiwan – comprising engineers, technicians, mechanics and pilots – has completed the assembly of two UH – 1H helicopters gifted to Belize. According to a release issued today from the Taiwanese Embassy, the assembly works were completed on Monday, at which time Ambassador Benjamin Ho visited Price Barracks and was treated to a test ride. News Five was in the area on an unrelated assignment and quite by chance managed to get a glimpse of the brand new helicopter flying over Ladyville. The UH – 1H helicopter, better known as the Huey, is the most widely used helicopter in the world and can transport up to thirteen passengers.

David Jones

Brig. Gen. David Jones, Commander, B.D.F. [File: January 14^th, 2016]

“You all are fully aware of the aircraft that landed in Belize, the Bell 407 helicopter that landed in August, the sixth of August or so, found in the area of Blue Creek and this aircraft was flown by our pilots from Blue Creek to the Williamson Hangar Complex.  This aircraft has been acquired by the Government of Belize and has now been handed over to the Belize Defense Force so it is now in our arsenal.  We have control over this helicopter now and we’ve been doing test runs on it and ensure it’s maintained.  We intend to use it for future operations.  Helicopter training will be a big thing for us this year because we expect to get in the other two UH1H helicopters, actually on Monday.  This coming Monday those two helicopters are expected to be in Belize.  We will finalize between two contractors we’re looking at now to decide which one of them will provide the training, the helicopter training for our pilots.  We already have the Bell, so this year, 2016, we expect to have three helicopters up and running.  So operations will be more decisive and more deliberate and even more successful with the coming in of and having three helicopters in the Belize Defense Force.”

We are told these two craft, in addition to a Bell Helicopter abandoned in Blue Creek and claimed by the B.D.F., will be used to deploy and evacuate troops, as well as to crack down on illegal drug and human trafficking activity. The official handing over ceremony is set for April twenty-sixth.