Three Military, Two Medevac Helos
Eurocopter has delivered three military helicopters to Brazil,
while two medevac aircraft have made it to their new home in
Poland.
Brazilian EC725
Eurocopter’s Helicópteros do Brasil (Helibras)
subsidiary delivered the initial three EC725s for Brazil’s
armed forces Monday, the first in a program to supply 50 of these
medium-sized, multi-role helicopters which will eventually lead to
in-country production of the rotary-wing aircraft. These first
three helicopters were provided in a standard configuration and
will undergo final outfitting in Brazil. Eurocopter and Helibras
pilots and technicians performed delivery flight tests, which were
followed by acceptance evaluations carried out by Brazilian Armed
Forces representatives – whose personnel have been in
training since May to operate and maintain the EC725s.
While these helicopters were built by Eurocopter in France and
finalized in Helibras, Brazilian assembly of EC725 will begin in
2012 at Helibras’ new production facility in Itajubá.
Their Brazilian-supplied content will increase to a minimum of 50
per cent through 2016, when the final EC725s from the 50-aircraft
order are delivered.
The EC725 program will contribute significantly to the growth of
Helibras’ industrial capacity and staff through an investment
of KR$420 million, providing the subsidiary with manufacturing and
maintenance capabilities for medium and large helicopters, and
thereby becoming an important operation in South America for
Eurocopter and its EADS parent company.
File Photo
Taking into account the anticipated growth in manufacturing and
maintenance activities for military and civilian aircraft at
Helibras, the company’s planned growth includes the
eventual production of the EC725 helicopter’s civilian EC225
version, which already is in service with Brazil’s oil
sector.
On the other side of the Atlantic, Poland’s public air
medical rescue operator LPR (Lotnicze Pogotowie Ratunkowe) has
received its final two EC135 helicopters from the 23 acquired by
the Polish Ministry of Health, which are being used to modernize
the country’s nationwide emergency medical services (EMS)
network.
Polish EC135
The fleet of 23 EC135 helicopters is now fully operational with
LPR, representing a major step in the modernization of the
country’s helicopter-based medical evacuation services, and
making Poland one of the world’s largest users of the
helicopter in its new-generation EMS configuration.
These helicopters are operated by LPR from 17 bases across the
country. By using the EC135s to gradually replace an inventory of
aging Mi-2s, the Polish aerial medical evacuation system now
complies fully with European regulations.
“The 23 EC135s operated by LPR meet the extremely high
international safety standards for emergency medical
services,” stated LPR director Robert Ga³¹zkowski.
“Thanks to their versatility and the ability to fly in the
harsh operating conditions and during the night, the EC135s’
proven efficiency and performance make them the perfect helicopter
for medical rescue missions.”
Olivier Michalon, Eurocopter’s Vice President of Sales for
Europe and Central Asia, said deliveries of LPR’s entire
EC135 fleet were performed on time, within budget and to
specifications – a result of the dedication by
Eurocopter’s teams, and the excellent cooperation with its
customer.
“Eurocopter is committed to providing Poland’s
emergency services with modern and reliable EMS helicopters, and to
ensuring that they can be maintained in-country in strict
accordance with the operator’s own timetable, which is being
achieved,” Michalon added.
File Photo
Technical support for LPR’s EC135s is provided by Heli
Invest, a Eurocopter distributor and certified maintenance center
based in Warsaw. Heli Invest offers a full range of customer
services, including a Polish-language hotline that operates 24/7,
full maintenance services, and technical support at all bases
throughout the country.
ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (06.29.25)
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