Following on from yesterday’s (23 January) annual order conference call, Airbus Helicopters has announced further details of the 2023 total, revealing that the DGA, on behalf of France’s Ministry of the Interior, placed an order for 42 H145D3s in December 2023. 36 of the helicopters are bound for service with Sécurité Civile, the government rescue and emergency response agency, while the remaining six are destined for the Gendarmerie Nationale.
The Sécurité Civile currently operates four five-bladed H145D3s, ordered in 2020 and 2021. The 36 H145s will progressively replace the 33 EC145s currently in operation for rescue and air medical transport services throughout France. While the Gendarmerie aircraft will also be for fleet renewal with the H145s replacing the Gendarmerie’s fleet of Ecureils, EC135s and EC145s.
Deliveries are expected to commence later this year.
Photo: Airbus Helicopters
