Vector Aerospace To Refurbish Pakistan Navy's Leonardo Sea King Helicopters

Vector Aerospace Corp has begun service on a contract signed with the Pakistan Navy that will see the return to refurbish three Leonardo Helicopters (ex-Westland) Sea Kings.

The refurbishment work required to bring the aircraft back to flying condition along with configuring the helicopters to the Pakistani Navy mission specifications will take place at the company’s Fleetlands facility in Gosport, Hampshire, UK.

Work on the contract is being performed by Vector’s UK-based Aviation Services team, previously responsible for in-depth maintenance of the UK MoD’s Sea King helicopter fleet when still in operation supporting the United Kingdom’s military aviation branches, the company announced Thursday.

A total of seven former UK MoD Sea King aircraft have been acquired by the Pakistan Navy under a separate contract signed last year. 

The ceremony for the formal handover of the aircraft from UK MoD’s Disposal Services Authority (DSA) to the Pakistan Navy was held at Fleetlands on May 24th, 2017, attended by the Pakistan High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Syed Ibne Abbas, and Bob Richardson from the DSA.

The maintenance program for the Sea Kings has been commenced, the company expecting to complete the aircraft to ship to Pakistan later in the year.

Owen McClave, Managing Director for Vector Aerospace UK said that Vector Aerospace continues to work closely with the UK MoD and Leonardo on Sea King and Lynx programs to support a number of legacy aircraft in service with multiple international military branches.