Tenth Aircraft Now In Service In Program That Began In 2008

In early December, the Chilean Army took delivery of a tenth heavy-weight, twin-engine H215M, the last delivery in a project that began in 2008 with the purchase of eight of these helicopters, to which two more were added in 2013 and 2014 respectively. The new rotorcraft will serve alongside the previous nine in the Helicopter Battalion of the Chilean Army’s Air Brigade.

Held at Airbus Helicopters’ facilities in Santiago, the handover ceremony was attended by General Humberto Oviedo Arriagada, the Commander in Chief of the Chilean Army; Brigadier-General Gustavo Núñez Kocher, the Commander of the Chilean Army’s Air Brigade; and Airbus Helicopters Chile General Manager, Alexandre Ceccacci, among other civil and military dignitaries.

“This helicopter complements the army’s fleet, which now includes latest-generation aircraft with the ability to perform multiple missions across the entire country,” said Brigadier-General Núñez Kocher. “Our confidence in this helicopter is based on the positive operational results it has achieved since coming into service in 2009. The H215M has proved its versatility and reliability across the Army’s numerous and demanding operations.”

The army’s H215M have completed more than 10,000 flight hours in a large number of missions that range from the provision of aid to remote areas and medical evacuations to firefighting and disaster relief. The Chilean Army’s Air Brigade played a crucial relief role during the floods that hit the Atacama region in 2015, carrying out 56 missions to provide support for flood victims.

“This project owes its success to the involvement of both parties and the relationship of trust that exists between them,” said Alexandre Ceccacci. “I would like to thank the army for all their support. It will be an honor to continue working together in the support of these aircraft as well as in other projects to come. Airbus Helicopters can be proud of the Air Brigade’s ten H215M, and I can assure you that we will be working hard to ensure they continue delivering high-value capability.”

In addition to the ten H215Ms, the Chilean Army operates a number of other Airbus Helicopters rotorcraft, such as the single-engine AS350B3, the twin-engine AS355NP and the Puma SA330L.

(Image provided with Airbus Helicopters news release)

FMI: www.airbushelicopters.com