RJAF acquires Bell 505
On 1 November 2022, al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Malakiya al-Urduniya (RJAF, Royal Jordanian Air Force) Commander Brigadier General Mohammad F. Hiyasat signed an agreement for acquiring ten Bell 505 Jet Ranger X helicopters for the RJAF.
Next to the delivery of the helicopters, the contract includes the delivery of a flight training device and a computer-based training package to enable basic and advanced rotorcraft flight training at the King Hussein Air College (KHAC) in Mafraq, Jordan.
The Jet Ranger Xs will replace the existing fleet of eleven Robinson R44-II Raven helicopters which the RJAF procured in three batches between late 2014 (4), early 2015 (4) and late 2015/early 2016 (3).
The Raven II is powered by a Lycoming’s IO-540 fuel-injected 245 hp (183 kW) engine and this was one of the reasons the RJAF had been seeking a replacement: it was deemed underpowered in the hot Jordanian climate. The Robinson R44s did not prepare the pilots well for the transition to the AS332M1 Super Puma, EC635T1, MD530FF, AH-1F Super Cobra, UH-60A/L/M Black Hawk and Mil Mi-26T2.
The Bell 505, powered by 1× Safran Arrius 2R turboshaft, 505 shp (377 kW), will be operated by the Flight Instructor School and 5 Squadron, both part of the King Hussein Air College.
Photos Bell Helicopters and Scramble Archive