10 January, 2019: RUAG will modernise eight Cougar helicopters belonging to the Swiss Air Force’s transport helicopter fleet. The corresponding agreement was signed in December by representatives of armasuisse and RUAG in Bern, Switzerland.
RUAG is set to upgrade the Cougar helicopters with state-of-the-art technology at their facilities in Emmen by mid-2022. Procured in 1998, the helicopters’ electronic flight control, navigation and communication systems require broad modernisation. The full scope of the upgrade includes new flight management computers, a precision navigation system for instrument flights, a collision avoidance system, which alerts pilots to aircraft in critical proximity, and a system developed by RUAG which emits an audible signal when the rotorcraft leaves a defined flight level. The package also features helmet mounted displays, for projecting the most important flight data on the pilot’s visor, as well as the newest generation of radio equipment and satellite phones, for ensuring safe and efficient communication.