King of Eswatini thanks Taiwan for donated helicopters

USEFUL BIRDS: The pair of donated UH-1H Huey helicopters have been used for medevac flights, King Mswati III said as he toured a flight center

King Mswati III of Eswatini yesterday thanked Taiwan for its donation of military helicopters to the African kingdom as he toured a flight training center in Tainan accompanied by President William Lai (賴清德).

Mswati arrived in Taiwan on Friday last week for his 20th visit to the country since he was crowned king in 1986, primarily to attend the Republic of China National Day celebrations.

Lai and the monarch yesterday visited Army Aviation and Special Forces Command’s Flight Training Command, a Tainan-based training center where army aviators learn to fly.

King Mswati III of Eswatini sits in an army helicopter as President William Lai, left, looks on during their tour of an aviation training center in Tainan yesterday.

Photo: Screen grab from the Presidential Office’s Flickr page

During the visit, Mswati and his wife Inkhosikati Make Zuma were shown military helicopters on display in a hangar. Both got a chance to operate a military helicopter flight simulator, while the king sat in the cockpit of a Black Hawk helicopter.

In his remarks during the visit, Lai said Taiwan donated two retired UH-1H helicopters to Eswatini in 2020. Between 2019 and 2020, the Tainan-based command trained 11 Eswatini pilots and maintenance personnel to fly and maintain the helicopters.

Lai expressed his gratitude to the personnel involved in the mission for their contributions to diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Mswati thanked Taiwan for donating the helicopters and assisting in the training of Eswatini’s pilots.

The helicopters, which were formally handed over to the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force air wing, have already played a crucial role, including medevac flights to transport casualties in urgent need of advanced medical care, the king said.

Mswati said that during this visit to Taiwan, he saw the continued development and progress of Taiwan’s aviation sector. He said he looked forward to deepening exchanges and sharing expertise and experience between the two countries.

The king’s itinerary includes observing a joint ground-air military exercise and a visit to an agricultural research center. He attended an investment dinner hosted by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) on Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.