Nepalese Air Wing Acquires Polish PZL M28ock 5 Skytruck Light Transport Aircraft

Polish PZL Mielec Wins Contract to Supply M28 Skytruck Aircraft to Nepalese Army

Polish aerospace manufacturer, PZL Mielec, has secured a significant contract worth $30.4 million to deliver two M28 Block 05 Skytruck light transport aircraft to the Nepalese Army Air Wing. This contract, executed under the U.S. Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program, includes aircraft training, spare parts, medical equipment, six months of field service representative services, and ferry flight service from Mielec, Poland, to Kathmandu, Nepal. The project is slated for completion by April 30, 2025.

The M28 Skytruck, known for its High-altitude Short Take-off and Landing (STOL) capabilities, is ideally suited for Nepal’s challenging high-altitude short runways, requiring less than 500 meters of runway length for operation. These aircraft will replace the Nepalese Army Air Wing’s sole M28, which was originally donated by the Polish Air Force in 2004 but unfortunately crashed in 2017.

Nepal had previously received a total of four M28 aircraft, with two delivered in 2001 and two more in 2019. Unfortunately, one of them met with an accident in May 2017, resulting in the loss of a crewmember. The decision to acquire the M28 Skytruck gains significance following Lockheed Martin’s acquisition of Sikorsky, the owner of the PZL Mielec factory in Poland, which has sparked increased interest in marketing the aircraft.

The PZL M28 Skytruck is a Polish Short Take-off and Landing (STOL) light cargo and passenger aircraft, developed based on license-built Antonov An-28s. This twin-engined, high-wing, strutted monoplane boasts an all-metal airframe, twin vertical fins, and a tricycle fixed landing gear. Notably, in case of engine failure, an automatic spoiler opens forward of the aileron on the opposite wing. The versatile M28 can fulfill various roles, including troop and cargo transport, med-evac missions, maritime patrol, reconnaissance, and airdropping equipment or infiltration teams.

One variant, the PZL M28 05 Skytruck, serves as a maritime patrol and Search and Rescue (SAR) aircraft for the Polish Border Guard. Equipped with the ARS-400M Search and Surveillance Radar and FLIR system, it enhances border security and search-and-rescue capabilities.

Apart from the M28, PZL Mielec is also responsible for manufacturing the Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk helicopters. The company, previously known as WSK-Mielec and WSK “PZL-Mielec,” is Poland’s largest aerospace manufacturer and was acquired by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation in 2007, with the brand name retained.

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