Eurocopter has secured deals from European law enforcement bodies worth €48 million ($54.2 million).
The Czech Republic has ordered eight EC135s, while Spain will add four AS355N Twin Squirrels and two EC120s to its all-Eurocopter fleet.
The EC135s will be operated by the Czech police aviation department for surveillance, anti-terrorism and emergency medical services. The Turbomeca Arrius 2B2-powered machines will be delivered over five years from the final quarter of this year. The deal is valued at €36 million. Eurocopter is to train engineers and establish a parts and maintenance centre in Prague, to satisfy offset requirements.
The Spanish interior ministry's traffic control department head, Jesus Guardia Garcia, says the aircraft will replace older AS350B2 Squirrels and an AS355N, and no other manufacturer was considered.
"As we were only doing a partial fleet renewal, we decided that fleet commonality was important, but we do not rule out other manufacturers in the future," he says.
Eurocopter Spain was recently incorporated as Eurocopter's "third pillar", with manufacturing and completion added to sales. The selection was "not political" says senior sales and marketing manager José Rubio Merino.
Source: Flight International
