Safran Helicopter Engines has started using sustainable aviation fuel at its Fareham facility in the United Kingdom on a permanent basis, initially with the currently available mix of 38% SAF and subsequently with the maximum permitted blend of 50%. It is the first Safran Helicopter Engines site outside France to use SAF in its engine test cells and now a leading aerospace site worldwide in this f...
Bell has completed the first Nacelle Improvements Modification on an Air Force CV-22 Osprey. The aircraft is part of an ongoing upgrade by Bell and Boeing to improve the wiring components within the nacelles and to change the structure in order to improve maintainability. The Osprey returned to the 20th Special Operations Squadron at Cannon Air Force Base on...
Airbus has delivered the last Dauphin helicopter, an AS365 N3, to the Spanish Customs Service. This helicopter will reinforce the Customs Surveillance Service’s capacity to combat drug trafficking in the Strait of Gibraltar, the Alboran Sea, and in Galicia. The helicopter was customised at Airbus Helicopters’ facilities in Albacete and comes equipped with mission equipment such as a...
Bristow Group announced that the Netherlands Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) has awarded Bristow their prestigious contract to provide search and rescue helicopter capacity to the Netherlands Coastguard. The 10-year contract, with two one-year extension options, will commence on November 4, 2022 and involves providing the permanent availability of dedicated SAR equipped AW189 heli...
SECO International has signed a purchase agreement for a Bell 505 helicopter and has been appointed as the first Japan dealer for the Bell 505. This sale follows the letter of intent that SECO International signed in 2015 for 10 Bell 505s, which Bell has since delivered. Founded in 1983, SECO International operates a fleet of light helicopters and manages private owners’ aircraft with full o...
The French Armament General Directorate (DGA) has signed a contract, on behalf of the Ministry of Interior, for the procurement and maintenance of 10 H160s in a law enforcement configuration for the Gendarmerie Nationale. Linked to the contract for the procurement of 169 H160Ms for the French Ministry of Armed Forces, this order is part of the Stimulus plan to support the national aeronautic...
Starting off the year at Bell with a major milestone, the Bell 429 surpassed 500,000 global fleet hours and continues to showcase its versatility throughout corporate, HEMS, law enforcement and utility missions. Today, more than 400 Bell 429 aircraft serve an array of customers, offering operators large cabins, intuitive displays and excellent performance. The twin-engine platform is reli...
As part of a flight testing program, the upgraded light helicopter Ka-226T has made its first circular flight at the flight-testing facility of the Mil & Kamov National Helicopter Center (part of Russian Helicopters). The vehicle was taken off the ground by the Mil & Kamov National Helicopter Center crew, consisting of Alexander Cherednichenko, a first class senior test pilot, and Maksi...
Bell Textron has delivered four Bell Huey II aircraft to the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH) on Dec. 4. The aircraft are part of an Foreign Military Sale signed in December 2019. The Huey II worldwide fleet of more than 300 aircraft have a combined 1.2 million flight hours. Prior to the delivery, members of the AFBiH Air Force and Air Defense Brigade completed adaptatio...
The Spanish Ministries of Defence and Interior have ordered 36 Airbus H135 helicopters. This signature takes place in the context of the stimulus plan activated by the Spanish government to support the industry. The Ministry of Defence will receive 18 helicopters to be operated by the air force and the navy while the Ministry of Interior will also take delivery of 18 helicopters to be operat...
The Thales technologies selected by Airbus Helicopters, industrial prime contractor for the programme, and the French defence procurement agency (DGA), the contracting authority, will provide the 169 Guépard joint light helicopters with a complete set of high-performance solutions relying on innovative connected touchscreen interfaces for all three branches of the armed forces from 2027....
The French Armament General Directorate (DGA) has ordered an additional two five-bladed H145s destined to equip the Sécurité Civile, an agency of the French Ministry of Interior that performs rescue and air medical transport services throughout France. This contract is a follow-up to the contract signed in 2020 for an initial batch of two H145s which were delivered in December 2021....
