TSAMTO, December 27. The Command of the Ecuadorian Air Force (FAE) has received the last three light twin-engine multi-purpose H-145M helicopters at the Airbus Helicopters company in Donauvert.
They will join the three previously delivered helicopters that are in operation. Thus, the Ecuadorian Air Force received all 6 helicopters ordered and became the first military operator of this machine in Latin America.
As reported by TSAMTO, the command of the Ecuadorian Air Force confirmed the signing of a contract with Airbus Helicopters for the supply of 6 light multi-purpose H-145M helicopters in November 2019. The cost of the sale and delivery dates of the helicopters were not disclosed. The contract also included the training of 12 pilots and 15 technical specialists.
The first pair of H-145M was transferred to the Ecuadorian Air Force at the Airbus Helicopters facility in Donauvert in October 2020. The first three helicopters were put into service in May 2021.
The purchased H-145M became part of the 22nd Combat Air Wing stationed in Guayaquil. They perform tasks in the Andes at altitudes up to 6000 m (20,000 ft), in the jungle and on the coast.
The H-145M will complement the fleet of four AW-119 Koala helicopters purchased from Leonardo Group and will replace the Indian Dhruv helicopters, which were purchased in 2009 and decommissioned just five years later. During this time, four Dhruv helicopters were lost in disasters.
The H-145 helicopters are designed to perform tasks related to national security, including border control, combating drug trafficking, conducting rescue operations at high altitudes, medical evacuation, and providing assistance in case of natural disasters at any time of the day. A wide range of tasks is provided thanks to the supply of various equipment, including a cargo hook, a rescue winch, a stretcher, a searchlight, an electron-optical camera, etc. The helicopter can be quickly reconfigured from a rescue version to a transport one, which will increase the capabilities of the Air Force to respond to emergencies.
