Saab has received a work order from Sweden's Defense Materiel Administration to continue AW109 helicopter support and maintenance services.

The AgustaWestland AW109 is designated Helicopter 15 by the Swedish military, which flies 20 of the aircraft.

The order covers the years 2018 and 2019. Saab's support services includes provision of materiel and technical personnel, base staff in the form of management, planning and administration, logistics and materiel provision, and on-call services in the form of additional technical personnel and services.

"Our ability to deliver a complete commitment to the support and maintenance of Helicopter 15 enables us to contribute to a high operational availability of our customer," says Jonas Hjelm, head of Saab's Support and Services business area.

The AW109s operate from two bases in Sweden. Saab has provided service and maintenance for the light utility helicopters since 2012.

No information as to the value of the FMV work order was disclosed.

Chinese coppers to patrol Italy's top tourist sights
Rome (AFP) May 2, 2016 - Four Chinese policemen will patrol the streets of Rome and Milan alongside their Italian counterparts for the next two weeks to help protect wealthy visitors from China during a peak tourism period, officials from both countries said Monday.

Four units, each boasting one Chinese copper and an Italian flatfoot, will be posted to tourist hot spots such as the ancient Colosseum in Rome or Milan's Gothic cathedral to help deter pickpockets and counsel those who have come a cropper.

Three million Chinese visit Italy each year.

The patrolmen will be on site from Tuesday until May 13, Italian and Chinese authorities announced at a press conference in Rome.

They hope to "increase the sense of security of Chinese tourists," said Italian police chief Alessandro Pansa.

The next two weeks is expected to be the peak period in Italy for shopping-happy Chinese visitors, known for spending their cash on Italian goods.

"If the experiment is successful, we will expand it to other cities in Italy," said Interior Minister Angelino Alfano, adding that Italian policemen would soon be heading to Beijing and Shanghai to carry out the same sort of patrols there.