The Defense Minister, Margarita Robles, visited this Friday the 'Tigre' (Bhela I) attack helicopter battalion at the 'Coronel Sánchez Bilbao' base, located in Almagro. Robles has been received by the head of the Army Airmobile Forces (Famet), Brigadier General Francisco Javier Marcos, and by the head of Bhela I, Army Lieutenant Colonel Santiago Rubio, who since September 2020 has been at the command of the unit, as reported by the Ministry of Defense in a statement.

Robles has seen first-hand the preparation of the combat pilots in command of the 'Tiger' helicopters, which "have put the operational capabilities of the Spanish Armed Forces on a par with the best in the world".

Likewise, he thanked "all the members of this attack helicopter battalion, you are perfectly prepared soldiers and an example in Europe and in the world".

During the visit, the first by a minister, Robles was accompanied by the Secretary of State for Defence, Amparo Valcarce, and the Chief of Staff of the Army (JEME), Army General Amador Enseñat, with whom she attended a demonstration of the capabilities of the unit. Specifically, to a personnel recovery exercise in a hostile area, with the intervention of an NH-90 helicopter and two 'Tiger' attack helicopters.

The head of the delegated section of the Helicopter Simulation Center, Lieutenant Colonel Carlos Jesús Carreres, explained to the minister that training in simulators is essential for crews to be able to fly in any condition.

The Bhela I, whose origin dates back to 1980, is the Famet's tactical unit par excellence and its only combat unit, capable of executing missions at both an operational and tactical level. Its main task is the protection of the force in the area of ​​operations and the performance of those missions that require high firepower and mobility.

Currently, there are 24 units of the HA-28 'Tiger', a multi-platform attack helicopter, with the capacity to carry out conventional attack, close combat attack and joint air attack missions, as well as air combat support, surveillance missions and tactical security, as well as reconnaissance and air assault operations. The Bhela I is part of the command of the Land Force. Its staff is made up of 92 command staff, including pilots, aircraft mechanics and personnel with other specialties, as well as 127 professional military personnel.

On the other hand, the unit collaborates with the local health through an agreement with Sescam, which maintains a small patient transfer helicopter at the 'Coronel Sánchez Bilbao' base that operates seven days a week.