The Japan Coast Guard (JCG) has ordered three more Airbus H225 helicopters to support its territorial coastal patrol, maritime law enforcement, as well as disaster relief missions, the company announced on 11 April.
The latest deal comes after Airbus delivered four H225 helicopters last year, one in February and three in December. The company noted that the JCG will possess a total fleet of 18 H225 helicopters once the latest order has been completed.
According to Airbus, the JCG’s H225 fleet is protected by its HCare Smart full-by-the-hour material support that enables the service to concentrate on conducting its flight operations while the assets are managed by the company.
“The Japan Coast Guard has been an active operator of the Super Puma family helicopters for three decades,” said Managing Director of Airbus Helicopters in Japan, Jean-Luc Alfonsi.
“This follow-on order demonstrates the customer’s confidence in our products and the dedicated support to their fleet,” added Alfonsi. “We believe the H225 is the perfect choice for JCG’s critical missions for law enforcement, as well as coastal and island protection, given its versatility in all weather conditions.”
Airbus revealed that there are currently 24 H225 helicopters being operated in Japan by various organisations such as the Ministry of Defense and parapublic operators for applications including search and rescue missions, fire-fighting, as well as passenger and cargo transportation.
The H225 is a twin-engine, 11 ton-class multirole helicopter that builds on the success of company’s Super Puma/Cougar platform and equipped with new avionics including a large-screen ‘glass cockpit’ and an updated operator interface designed to reduce pilot workload.
Airbus also noted that the Super Puma/Cougar family has accumulated more than six million flight hours during operations in austere environments around the world.
Besides the H225, the JCG also operates a variety of other helicopters such as the Bell 505 and 412, Leonardo AW139, and Sikorsky S-76.
by Jr Ng
