President Yoweri K. Museveni, the Commander in Chief of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), commissioned the first flight of the first overhauled Russian helicopter (MI 24) on the African continent south of the Sahara on April 18, 2023.
The ceremony was held at Proheli International Services Limited’s Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) Plant headquarters in Nakasongola district.
According to the president, Russia has partnered with Uganda for the last 100 years and has never harmed us, hence the need to re-establish and strengthen existing contacts with Russia through such MRO facilities.
“I am glad to have commissioned the first overhauled MI-24 helicopter at the Nakasongola facility. This is another example of our excellent and longstanding relations with Russia, based on a convergence of interests that continue to bear logical dividend for Africa and Russia. I thank the Russian government for not objecting to our cooperation but supporting it. I also thank NEC and Luwero Industries for enthusiastically taking advantage of this good will and building this capacity,” President Museveni tweeted.
The President further emphasized that the maintenance, overhauling, and upgrading of Russian helicopters in Uganda is a good idea since it enhances the generation of local capacity, lowers labor costs, promotes defence cooperation, and facilitates economic growth as income is generated from other countries that attempt to overhaul from Uganda.
In addition, the President encouraged Proheli to include the overhaul of the Sukhoi aircraft at their facility, emphasizing that the latter will benefit from the broad African market using both MI-23 and Sukhoi aircraft since it is closer than transporting the spoilt aircraft to Russia.
In conclusion, the President urged Russian investors to invest in Uganda in fields other than defence.
Ssempijja Vincent Bamulangaki, the Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs, commended the president for building a modern and productive army.
“Overhauling helicopters in Uganda is a great achievement and saves the country a lot of money,” he said.
Gen. Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, the Chief of Defence Forces, noted that the overhaul is a landmark achievement in Uganda’s aviation industry since it is the first helicopter to be overhauled south of the Sahara.
He added that the facility reflects the work-ability of the tripartite doctrine, which demands that any assistance given must aim at building internal capacity to acquire self-reliance as guided by the President.
The Chief of Staff – Air Force Brig Gen David Gonyi, on behalf of the Commander Air Force Lt Gen Charles Okidi, remarked that the facility will improve on the turnaround time taken to repair a helicopter (instead of 3 years, it took 1 year and 3 months to overhaul M1-24), reduce the cost of transporting equipment, generate revenue, provide employment to Ugandans (about 200 local workers currently), and facilitate industrial training for Air Force personnel, among others.
He also noted that given the changing nature of threats, the overhauled and upgraded MI-24 can now operate both day and night and will be used to curb the persistent cattle rustling and during other operations against terrorists in the region.
“With this facility, serviceability in the air forces will increase and thus increase combat readiness,” he explained.
The Managing Director of National Enterprise Corporation (NEC), the production and commercial arm of the UPDF, which entered a joint venture with Proheli to overhaul the MI-24 helicopter, Lt Gen James Mugira, lauded the UPDF fraternity and Proheli for a job well done since the facility enables technological transfer, saves resources, reduces lead time, and offers research opportunities.
According to the Chief Executive Officer of Proheli Valerii Copeichin, the facility intends to be a one-stop-center for helicopter MRO, grow local human resources, manufacture electronic software for helicopters, and manufacture a Ugandan-made helicopter using local manpower.
“We are determined to rock together with the UPDF to stabilize Uganda’s defence,” he promised.
The commissioning ceremony was also graced by the attendance of the MODVA Permanent Secretary Mrs. Rosette Byengoma, Commander Land Forces Lt Gen Kayanja Muhanga, Commander Reserve Forces Lt Gen Charles Otema, CEO Maj Gen Sabiti Muzeyi, and the acting Chief of Staff Land Force Maj Gen Jack Bakasumba, among other UPDF Officers and Militants.
