The Aviation Magazine No:46 September-October 2016 | Page 54

Until 2014, the AFM’s air asset
inventory was still missing its own
all-weather SAR rotary platform.
The acquisition of two EBF cofunded brand new Agusta Westland AW139s enabled Maltese
flight crews to begin conversion
and retraining on the type so as
to prepare for the eventual handover from the IMM's AMI component of all SAR and medevac
roles. Other air assets added to
the AFM Air Wing’s fleet in 2011
and 2012 included two factory
fresh Hawker Beechcraft B200
King Air fixed-wing maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft. The
AFM is set to receive another
B200 and also a third AW139 during 2016 bringing up the envisaged full complement of types.
By June 2016, the AMI AB212s’
work in Malta had entered into a
period of handover with more duties being re-tasked to the two
Maltese AW139s. Training on the
new type is now at an advanced
stage, with AFM crews becoming
more dependent on the AW139.
The handover process will continue for a number of months and
it is envisaged that the AB212s
will remain in Malta for at least
the remainder of 2016.
On the 2nd June, 2016 a ceremony was held in Malta, over
Marsamxett harbour and Ta’
Xbiex sea front, marking the
‘handing over of the baton’ between both countries’ SAR teams.
Just after sunset, a series of dual
flypasts and break was performed
by an AMI's AB212 and an AFM's
AW139. The display coincided
with the annual national celebrations of Italy's Republic Day.
Back on the Italian mainland, the
AMI's own changeover from
AB212s to AW139s is also underway, and once withdrawn from
service, most aviation enthusiasts

shall be sad to see the AB212 go. Maltese aviation
buffs shall surely miss seeing the type in our skies and
hearing it approach, at all hours of the day, be it rain or
shine. It is hoped that upon completing its SAR tenure
here in Malta, the Italian Air Force would consider donating one of these two airworthy airframes to the
Malta Aviation Museum at Ta’ Qali as a lasting exhibit
and memento of the mutual friendship, professional
approach, milestones achieved and to the sacrifices
made by both countries' military personnel over these
last 40 years of unwaning cooperation.
Participating aircraft (display only):
MM81212 – Italian Air Force Agusta Bell AB212AM of
the Italian Military Mission in Malta; and
AS1429 – Maltese Armed Forces' Air Wing's Agusta
Westland AW139.
Author's acknowledgements to Maj. Ivan M. Consiglio
(AFM Retd.) and Col. Luca Mariz (Italian Air Force).