At the close of 2024, the Ministry of National Defence of Portugal delivered eight SA-330 Puma helicopters to Ukraine as part of a military assistance package.

This transfer was outlined in a document detailing the support provided to Ukraine and was officially confirmed by the Minister of Defense.

The helicopters, which were placed into storage in 2012, were made available for sale in 2014 in fully operational condition, ready to support Ukraine’s defense efforts.

A feature of the Portuguese SA-330 Puma is the use of advanced fire control systems, which enables the launch of Exocet anti-ship missiles.

In the nose of the helicopter, there is an ORB-31 X-band radar, which can be tailored for different helicopter models. This advanced system is designed for detecting and identifying surface targets, providing weather alerts, assisting with navigation, and supporting fire control to engage both surface and submarine targets.

Like the British and German Sea King helicopters, the Portuguese Pumas are quite old, having been in service from 1970 to 2009, and were actively involved in operations in North Africa during the colonial wars.

The last flights of these helicopters were carried out for transporting personnel and conducting search-and-rescue operations both in overseas territories and on the mainland.

The country initially acquired 13 helicopters of this type, which were later replaced in the 2010s by more advanced British-Italian EH-101 Merlin helicopters.

Militarnyi previously reported that in September 2024, the Ministry of National Defence of Portugal had transferred the first promised Ka-32 helicopters to Ukraine.

On Friday, September 6, the disassembled Ka-32 helicopters were loaded onto trucks and shipped to Ukraine from Ponte de Sor.

Ка-32 is a civil development of the Ка-27PS search and rescue helicopter, developed by the Kamov Design Bureau.

It is designed to perform various tasks, such as cargo transportation, rescue operations, firefighting, and construction and installation work.