When Kenya received a donation of eight Bell Huey helicopters to enhance the operations of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) in 2016, every indicator pointed to more efficient running of military operations.
Then United States Ambassador to Kenya Robert Godec led the handing over of the Bell USA Huey II choppers to then Defense Cabinet Secretary Rachel Omamo in a ceremony full of optimism and hope for a stronger KDF.
At the time, Omamo said the choppers were valued at Ksh 11 billion.
With an already established reputation in the military sphere, the Bell Huey was meant to serve functions including evacuation of casualties from battle grounds and general transportation of military crew.
The choppers have enough space to carry three casualties on either side, a team of up to two medical personnel and the pilots.
Alternatively, the Bell Huey II can be modified for passenger transport with enough space to carry at least 13 soldiers.
Given Kenya’s security challenges and needs, the choppers were described as an ideal solution for facilitating deployment of troops in places including high altitude areas and remote places.
The donation came on the back of former US President Barrack Obama’s visit to Kenya and his promise to support Kenya’s fight against terrorism.
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More than seven years later, one of the Huey rotor copters donated to the KDF crashed with 12 people onboard, among them Chief of Defense Forces General Francis Ogolla.
While the government promised to expedite investigations into the cause of the crash, the Thursday, April 19, incident added to recent dark history of KDF choppers with more than three accidents reported in a span of months.
History of the Bell Huey
The Huey is a prominent name in the military field and has for long been seen as a symbol of US Military’s presence.
Huey choppers were widely used by the US military in the Vietnam War in the 1960s.
Initially, it was designed for evacuation but was eventually modified to serve in the military operations during the Vietnam war.
In the post-Vietnam war era, the US has continued to use the Huey choppers albeit with several improvements.
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The current choppers produced by American company Bell Helicopter is known as the Huey II, which is an upgraded version of Bell UH-1H multimission, medium-lift helicopter.
In its current shape and features, the Huey II can be used in troop transport, evacuation, cargo transport and even search and rescue.
The brand is common in militaries from countries across the world and is seen as a sign of military prowess.
A standard Huey II weighs about 2,552 kg and is designed to fly at speeds of up to 206km/hour.
Its interior, as is the case with most military aircraft, can be configured according to the need at hand thus making it versatile.
Countries currently using the Huey helicopters include the Philippines, Brazil, Uganda, Colombia, Kenya, and Lebanon with the countries having made orders for the choppers in the recent years.
