NH90 Customers Still Frustrated By Spares And Reliability Problems

With 250 helicopters in service and almost 70,000 flight hours achieved fleet-wide, it would seem that global NH90 operations would finally be gaining traction. Several customers have flown the NHIndustries (NHI) helicopter in Afghanistan and carried out anti-piracy missions off Somalia, and France is flying it in Central Africa. Yet small problems that blighted the helicopter in its earliest days of operation are still causing concern today.
aviationweek

U.S. C-17s to support peacekeepers in Central African Republic

The Defense Department has directed Air Force C-17s assigned to U.S. Africa Command to assist African and French peacekeepers in the Central African Republic, where international troops are attempting to aid a transition to a democratic government.
The C-17s willairlift 850 peacekeepers from Burundi to the Central African Republic, in coordination with France.
Muslim rebels overthrew the government nine months ago, prompting increased sectarian violence. Last week, France deployed troops to the capital city of Bangui, where more than 400 people were killed in violence between Muslims and Christians.
airforcetimes

US poised to support French forces in Africa

U.S. forces are standing at the ready to provide support for French and African troops battling rebel forces in the Central African Republic.
Paris has yet to make a formal request for American troops or military assets to back up the United Nations-mandated peacekeeping mission in the central African nation, Sporadic gun battles have repeatedly broken out between Christian rebel fighters and government troops for weeks in the African country, ever since Central African Republic President President Francois Bozize was ousted in coup in March.
Nearly 100 people have been killed in the ensuing violence, prompting the U.N. to send in the French peacekeeping force, backed by African Union soldiers.
The Pentagon deployed American intelligence and airpower assets into Mali in February, in support of the massive French counterterrorism campaign in the country.
During the four-month counterterrorism operation, French units were able to push out fighters with al Qaeda's West African cell, known as al Qaeda in the Islamic Magreb, who had taken over the northern part of the country.
French and African forces were able to flush out AQIM fighters from the northern city of Gao and group's various strongholds in the country.
thehill