The Panamanian Navy has just taken delivery of the last two AW139s of an order for six which they placed in 2010. With the first pair delivered in January 2013 and the second pair following in April, this marks the completion of the order. They formed part of a larger deal with AgustaWestland’s parent company Finmeccanica which included 19 radars from AW sister compaony Selex. The last pair of AW139s arrived in-country on May 8 through Manzanillo International Terminal Port in Colon, and were flown the next day to their new base where they will be operated by SENAN – the acronym for Servicio Nacional Aeronaval, or in English, the National Air and Navy Service of Panama.

The AW139s are primarily tasked in response to drug trafficking, and are armed. One of the key areas of operation will be the jungle areas of Panama’s Darien province – and they have indeed been involved in these operations very recently.  The photo accompanying this article is from a Panamanian military press release which details a haul of over 2,700 kg of cocaine.

The six AW139s have been supplied from the Italian production line.

Jeremy Parkin – HeliHub.com