MOSCOW. Sept 1 (Interfax-AVN) - The new Russian BE-200ChS amphibian was put on fire-fighting duty at the Italian island of Sardinia on Wednesday, Russian Deputy Emergencies Ministry Yury Brazhnik told Interfax-Military News Agemcy.
"The new Russian Be-200ChS plane has been put on fire- fighting duty in Italy's Sardinia today in the framework of experimental leasing. The duty will last for a month," Brazhnik said.
"It will be a month of real combat work. Europe, and Italy in particular, imposes very tough requirements, but our plane fully meets them," he stressed.
The Russian Emergencies Ministry was the first who ordered the aircraft, and signed the contract in 2001. Under the contract, the Ministry will receive seven BE-200ChS aircraft from the Irkut corporation before 2007. The first two planes have already been put on duty and were successful in suppressing the fire at an oil-platform in the Baltic Sea and evacuating personnel during the Kaliningrad 2004 international exercise held June 2004.
One BE-200Chs plane was leased to the Italian Civil Protection department. It will be operated by the Italian fire fighting company, SOREM, until the end of the fire-dangerous season, under the leasing contract signed with the Beriev TANTK Company, the aircraft developer. SOREM is an official operator of the state-owned Canadian CL-415 amphibians.
According to the Emergencies Ministry, the Russian side will deliver the BE-200, and provide maintenance and spare parts as necessary. The aircraft will have joint crews of Russian and Italian pilots. Three Italians underwent training at Beriev's training facilities in Italy.
Following the results of the BE-200 experimental operation in Italy, the country will make a decision on acquiring the aircraft for use in its civil defense forces.
Representatives of some countries intending to modernize their fire-fighting fleet of aircraft, are willing to visit Italy to see the real operation of the plane and estimate its effectiveness.
The multi-role BE-200 amphibious aircraft is designed for fire fighting, patrolling, search and rescue at sea, and sanitary and cargo transportation. The aircraft is capable to take up to 12 tons of water aboard on several gliding passes during one flight, making use of the precision navigation and flight control systems.
Irkut and Europe's EADS are negotiating the opportunity to deliver BE-200 amphibians to a number of European countries in the Mediterranean and some states in Southeast Asia.