TSAMTO, April 2. Airbus Helicopters has announced the signing of another contract with the Japanese Coast Guard Command for the supply of two additional H-225 helicopters (previously designated EC-225).
Upon completion of this contract, the Japanese Coast Guard's Super Puma fleet will increase to 17 units, including 15 H-225 and two AS-332 vehicles. The helicopters are designed to provide security, control the territorial waters of Japan, as well as provide assistance to those in distress and those affected by natural disasters.
In February, Airbus Helicopters delivered the 10th H-225 to the Japanese Coast Guard as part of previously signed contracts and continues to perform work on the production and maintenance of helicopters. The company provides maintenance and support under the HCare Smart Parts By the hour scheme, which involves the repair and exchange of spare parts based on the raid.
As reported by TSAMTO, the first pair of EC-225 helicopters was received by the Japanese Coast Guard in early 2008. In August 2011, the country's Coast Guard, Eurocopter and Eurocopter Japan signed a three-way contract for the delivery of three new EC-225s, which were received by March 2015. Subsequently, new contracts were signed annually.
The H-225 helicopter, which has a maximum take-off weight of 11 tons, is equipped with two Makila 2A1 engines with a maximum power of 1776 kW, a five-blade main rotor, a four-axis autopilot that allows maneuvering in hover mode, and an integrated display and control system. The supplied vehicles are equipped with a searchlight, a weather radar, a winch and advanced avionics. In the search and rescue version, the H-225 can, in addition to two crew members and four members of the rescue team, transport up to 19 people or three bedridden victims. Maximum flight range-1135 km, payload weight-5457 kg, flight duration – 5 h 38 min. The maximum speed of the car is 324 km/h.
Currently, in Japan, about 30 helicopters from the "Super Puma"family are operated by civil, state operators and the Ministry of Defense to perform various functions.