The medium-lift helicopters will mainly be used for transport and civil security missions.
This
new order—the first ever placed with Eurocopter by the Mexican
Ministry of Defense—will help reinforce the European helicopter
manufacturer’s presence in Mexico. The Mexican Naval Ministry
already operates Panther helicopters manufactured by Eurocopter, and
the EC225 and Super Puma currently serve the Mexican President. Some
350 Eurocopter helicopters are in service in the region, and the
Group's market share has progressed steadily to more than 50% today.
Eurocopter
has been present in Mexico for more than 25 years. In 1982, the
subsidiary Eurocopter de Mexico SA (EMSA) was opened to cover Central
America, the Caribbean, Columbia, Venezuela and Ecuador. The main
activities of the subsidiary, which now has a staff of 165 employees,
are maintenance, aircraft assembly, customization, and technical and
logistics support for the Eurocopter fleet in the region. In response
to rapid market growth, the Group has become a major provider of
training for pilots and technicians in the region through partnership
agreements with educational institutions such as the National
Polytechnic Institute (IPN), (CONALEP) Mexico’s National
Technical Professional School and the country’s Pilot Training
Academy. Another response to this rapid growth has been the development
of the Group’s industrial activities in Mexico, and talks are
currently underway with the Mexican authorities to decide on the
location of an industrial plant.
The EC725 is the latest member of the Cougar family. The
medium-lift, twin-engine helicopter in the 11-ton class is equipped
with five main rotor blades. With its impressive fuel capacity, the
EC725 offers flight endurance of 5.5 hours. It can carry up to 29
passengers in addition to the two pilots. The EC725 was designed to
perform a wide range of missions, including search and rescue,
long-distance transport, emergency medical services and logistics
support. Before the current contract was signed, 151 orders for the
EC725 and its civil version (the EC225) had already been received from
17 different customers. Its multi-purpose capabilities made it the
logical choice of the Mexican Ministry of Defense.
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.
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