| UK Government to fund the purchase of six new police Eurocopter EC135 helicopters |
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The Police Air Support Units in Suffolk, Cheshire, North Wales,
Cleveland, Midlands and Chilterns will each receive a new EC135P2i
helicopter. However, the helicopters will be used by up to a total of
18 neighbouring police forces as part of regional consortia, including
a Midlands regional collaboration pilot project to trial more efficient
joint police air operations.
Across the UK, 27 Police Forces
favour the Eurocopter family concept, operating both the EC135 and its
larger derivative, the EC145. The EC135/ EC145 helicopter family
provide “best in class” technology and perfectly adapted mission
equipment meeting the today’s stringent requirements for traditional
Air Support and multi-role extended Police Air Operations and
Intervention. This is part of a global trend which sees rotary
platforms increasingly used as a complement to police forces on the
ground in surveillance, search, pursuit and other law enforcement
missions, as well as some night time rescue missions.
Markus
Steinke, Managing Director of Eurocopter UK, commented: “The decision
of the Home Office to fund the purchase of six EC135 helicopters for UK
Police Forces confirms our position as the leader in the UK civil and
parapublic market as well as valued supplier to the UK Government and
its civil and military agencies. We are proud to continue to serve the
interests of UK law enforcement with this pioneering approach to joint
procurement, offering UK Police Forces the most advanced helicopters on
the market.”
Eurocopter remains the undisputed worldwide leader
in the civil and parapublic market with more than 50% market share and
has 76% of the police market in the UK.
The EC135 helicopter is
a multipurpose twin engine aircraft with advanced design and state of
the art technology, making it ideally suited for Law Enforcement
missions. For more than 10 years the EC135 has been the preferred
choice of worldwide Public Services operators.
Each of the
helicopters will feature the latest Airborne Law Enforcement and Police
Reconnaissance & Surveillance systems as well as interoperable
communications means, including daylight and thermal imaging cameras,
Nightsun search lights, video down-link system and Tetra radios, which
will allow easy communication both with police on the ground and with
the other emergency services. System integration and fit out will be
performed at Eurocopter’s customisation center in Oxford.
About Eurocopter
Established
in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group is a Division of
EADS, a world leader in aerospace, defence and related services. The
Eurocopter Group employs approx. 15,600 people. In 2008, Eurocopter
confirmed its position as the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer in
the civil and parapublic market, with a turnover of 4.5 billion Euros,
orders for 715 new helicopters, and a 53 percent market share in the
civil and parapublic sectors. Overall, the Group’s products account for
30 percent of the total world helicopter fleet. Its strong worldwide
presence is ensured by its 18 subsidiaries on five continents, along
with a dense network of distributors, certified agents and maintenance
centres. More than 10,000 Eurocopter helicopters are currently in
service with over 2,800 customers in more than 140 countries.
Eurocopter offers the largest civil and military helicopter range in
the world.
For more information, please contact:
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| CECILE VION-LANCTUIT |
| Monday, 09 March 2009 |
| http://www.eurocopter.com/publications/FO/scripts/newsFO_complet.php?lang=EN&news_id=594 |