DTN News: Chinook Chases Cougar Out Of Afghanistan

DTN News: Chinook Chases Cougar Out Of Afghanistan

Source: Strategy Page

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 19, 2010: The Netherlands has rotated its helicopter contingent in Afghanistan, sending three CH-47D "Chinooks" to replace five Cougars. The Eurocopter Cougar EC725 is an 11 ton aircraft with a useful load of 5.5 tons, a top speed of 324 kilometers an hour, a range of about 850 kilometers and can stay in the air for about five hours per sortie.The Cougars have been in Afghanistan since last October, and flew 271 missions, and spent 1,069 hours in the air. An-124 aircraft are used to move the helicopters to and from the Netherlands. The larger CH-47D "Chinook" is a 22 ton aircraft with a max load of ten tons. It can carry up to fifty troops, and is preferred in Afghanistan because of its ability to operate effectively at high altitudes. The first CH-47s entered service in 1962, able to carry only five tons.

Some 750 saw service in Vietnam, and 200 were lost in action. Between 1982-94, 500 CH-47s were rebuilt to the CH-47D standard. SOCOM operates 31 MH-47Ds and Es, which have additional navigation gear. These are being upgraded to MH-47F standards, and the fleet expanded to 61 helicopters. As a result of all this, the CH-47 will end up serving at least 75 years. The CH-47F upgrades and new builds will not be completed until 2018. New CH-47Fs cost about $35 million each. The Netherlands has ordered nine CH-47Fs.

*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com Disclaimer statement Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information supplied herein, DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Unless otherwise indicated, opinions expressed herein are those of the author of the page and do not necessarily represent the corporate views of DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News.

Eurocopter And Helibras Announce The First Flight Simulator For helicopters In Latin America

Eurocopter And Helibras Announce The First Flight Simulator For helicopters In Latin America

(NSI News Source Info) April 16, 2009: Eurocopter and its Brazilian subsidiary Helibras are pleased to announce the introduction of the first flight simulator for helicopters in Latin America at the Latin America Aerospace & Defense (LAAD) show in Rio de Janeiro.

The flight simulator which will be operational in two years time in the state of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, will be designed to recreate the cockpit environment and missions of a EC725 helicopter.

The EC 725 was developed to meet a French Air Force requirement for a specialist helicopter for Combat Search & Rescue operations after the AS 532 A2 Cougar model was rejected for this purpose following extensive trials between 1996 and 1999. The more ambitious EC 725 design made its maiden flight at Marignane on the 27th November 2000 and the machine made its first presentation on the 15th January 2001. The French Air Force subsequently ordered 6 for Combat Search & Rescue duties with the first being delivered in February 2005. Eight more helicopters were ordered for the French Armed Forces in November 2002.

Brazilian Government has announced that a Helibras factory will produce at least 50 units of the most updated Super Cougar (EC 725). First units will be operational in 2010. Brazilian Air Force 18 on order, Brazilian Navy 16 on order and Brazilian Army 16 on order. It will be used notably to train the pilots who will fly the 50 military EC725 helicopters that will be built for the first time on Helibras’ assembly lines in Itajubá, in the state of Minas Gerais.

The simulators will improve flight safety by providing optimal training regardless of weather conditions and aircraft availability and simulating the toughest missions in complete safety. Eurocopter President Lutz Bertling stated: “Eurocopter’s strategy is to develop its support and services activity and to promote a proactive pilot training policy. Over the last few months, we have introduced numerous simulators for the EC225 in France, the EC135 in Germany and the United States, and the NH90 in Germany. The forthcoming introduction of the EC725 simulator in Brazil and in Malaysia will broaden our offer and meet the expectations of our customers in this growing area of strategic importance.”

True to its policy of internationalization, Eurocopter has a major presence in Latin America: Helibras was set up in 1978, Eurocopter Mexico in 1982, and Eurocopter Chile in 2001. More than 500 employees work at these three subsidiaries. One thousand Eurocopter helicopters are currently in service in Latin America.

Eurocopter is the only helicopter manufacturer with production facilities in Latin America. The AStar/Ecureuil model is made in Brazil (known as Esquilo) and production will soon begin on the EC725, which will lead to Helibras doubling its staff strength to that of 600 persons with a reinforced engineering centre.

Eurocopter’s three Latin American subsidiaries also customize and maintain aircraft, and provide a full range of services. Eurocopter’s recent successes will strengthen the Group’s presence in Latin America even further. In addition to the contract for 50 EC725s for the Brazilian armed forces, the Mexican Ministry of Defense ordered six EC725s in March. About Eurocopter Established in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group is a Division of EADS, a world leader in aerospace, defence and related services. The Eurocopter Group employs approx. 15,600 people. In 2008, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer in the civil and parapublic market, with a turnover of 4.5 billion Euros, orders for 715 new helicopters, and a 53 percent market share in the civil and parapublic sectors. Overall, the Group’s products account for 30 percent of the total world helicopter fleet. Its strong worldwide presence is ensured by its 18 subsidiaries on five continents, along with a dense network of distributors, certified agents and maintenance centres. More than 10,000 Eurocopter helicopters are currently in service with over 2,800 customers in more than 140 countries. Eurocopter offers the largest civil and military helicopter range in the world.

Mexico Orders Six EC725 in Eurocopter First / The Mexican Ministry of Defense Orders Six EC725 Helicopters from Eurocopter

Mexico Orders Six EC725 in Eurocopter First / The Mexican Ministry of Defense Orders Six EC725 Helicopters from Eurocopter

(NSI News Source Info) March 12, 2009: Eurocopter has chalked up another success in Latin America: The Mexican Ministry of Defense has placed an order for six EC725 helicopters.

The medium-lift helicopters will mainly be used for transport and civil security missions.

The Eurocopter EC 725 Cougar is a long-range tactical transport helicopter developed from the Super Puma/Cougar family for military use. It is a twin-engined aircraft and can carry up to 29 seated troops along with 2 crew, depending on customer configuration. The helicopter is marketed for troop transport, casualty evacuation, and combat search and rescue duties, and is similar to the civilian EC 225.

This new order—the first ever placed with Eurocopter by the Mexican Ministry of Defense—will help reinforce the European helicopter manufacturer’s presence in Mexico. The Mexican Naval Ministry already operates Panther helicopters manufactured by Eurocopter, and the EC225 and Super Puma currently serve the Mexican President. Some 350 Eurocopter helicopters are in service in the region, and the Group's market share has progressed steadily to more than 50% today.

Eurocopter has been present in Mexico for more than 25 years. In 1982, the subsidiary Eurocopter de Mexico SA (EMSA) was opened to cover Central America, the Caribbean, Columbia, Venezuela and Ecuador. The main activities of the subsidiary, which now has a staff of 165 employees, are maintenance, aircraft assembly, customization, and technical and logistics support for the Eurocopter fleet in the region.

In response to rapid market growth, the Group has become a major provider of training for pilots and technicians in the region through partnership agreements with educational institutions such as the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN), (CONALEP) Mexico’s National Technical Professional School and the country’s Pilot Training Academy. Another response to this rapid growth has been the development of the Group’s industrial activities in Mexico, and talks are currently underway with the Mexican authorities to decide on the location of an industrial plant. The EC725 is the latest member of the Cougar family. The medium-lift, twin-engine helicopter in the 11-ton class is equipped with five main rotor blades. With its impressive fuel capacity, the EC725 offers flight endurance of 5.5 hours. It can carry up to 29 passengers in addition to the two pilots.

The EC725 was designed to perform a wide range of missions, including search and rescue, long-distance transport, emergency medical services and logistics support. Before the current contract was signed, 151 orders for the EC725 and its civil version (the EC225) had already been received from 17 different customers. Its multi-purpose capabilities made it the logical choice of the Mexican Ministry of Defense.

Eurocopter established in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group is a Division of EADS, a world leader in aerospace, defence and related services. The Eurocopter Group employs approx. 15,600 people. In 2008, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer in the civil and parapublic market, with a turnover of 4.5 billion Euros, orders for 715 new helicopters, and a 53 percent market share in the civil and parapublic sectors.

Eurocopter Committed To Meet Military Requirements Of The Middle East Region

Eurocopter Committed To Meet Military Requirements Of The Middle East Region

With a wide range of helicopters, Eurocopter is supporting the region's air forces for missions including combat, transport, Search and Rescue (SAR), counter-terrorism, special missions and training.

(NSI News Source Info) February 22, 2009: Currently more than 650 Eurocopter helicopters fly in the Arab world, with more than 80% of them for military use.

Eurocopter is committed to keep on meeting the specific requirements of the governments and their Armed Forces in the Arab world. The company showcases its military capabilities and expertise at IDEX at the EADS booth in Hall 8, C20 and displays one EC135 Police helicopter in full scale.

'With a strong footprint in the region, we continue to see a demand for our helicopters for military use. Equipped with the latest technology, they are able to perform all their missions in the most severe operational environment and critical situations,' says Xavier Hay, Eurocopter's Vice-President for Middle East and Africa.' Military needs

Eurocopter has the largest line-up of military helicopters in the world, ranging from 2-11-ton class and a solid customer base in the Middle East.

The military proven Fennec AS550 is a multipurpose single engine helicopter suited for extremely hot climates and high altitudes and well adapted for training, observation, fire support, protection and combat mission. In the region, several countries fly the Fennec like the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces. Over 4000 helicopters of the Ecureuil / Fennec family in its single and twin variants have been delivered to over 70 countries.

The light twin, multi-mission Eurocopter EC635 - the military version of the EC135 - is perfectly adapted for troop and/or load transports, training, light armed reconnaissance, Medevac and SAR missions. The EC635 gives a choice of twin engine models-each featuring a Full Authority Digital Electronic Control (FADEC) system for the state-of-the-art power management, providing optimized performance, safety and fuel efficiency. The EC635 is operational in the Kingdom of Jordan (Air Force and Police) and its cutting-edge technology generates keen interest by many countries in the region.

For heavy helicopters, Eurocopter counts on a great history in the Gulf countries with a large Puma and Super Puma / Cougar fleet including more than 110 aircrafts in operation in Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Pakistan and other countries. As the latest generation of the family with enhanced multi-role capabilities, the EC725 helicopter is the logical choice of acquisition for the region Armed Forces. It enlarges the scope of missions including Combat-SAR, long distance tactical transport, medical evacuation, logistics support.

The twin-engine EC725 helicopter with 11 metric tons has superior performance. It has been selected by the French Armed Forces and deployed in extreme combat conditions. By end of November 2008, 96 EC725 had been ordered by 17 different countries. The utility/escort and VVIP version EC225 is already flying in the Arab World.

Meanwhile, whereas being well appreciated by the operators, the Puma and Super Puma / Cougar Eurocopter fleet can also be refurbished as it is the case in several Gulf countries having engaged major overhaul programs such as in the UAE. There are plans to increase Puma refurbishments as well in Pakistan in 2009. The Super Puma helicopters are highly efficient in Search and Rescue roles and assist Governments in public services such as police, fire fighting and EMS missions.

Also for tactical transport of troops and anti-submarine warfare combat the 10-metric ton class NH90 is an ideal choice. NHIndustries has received so far 529 orders globally for the NH90 with Eurocopter as major partner Company. The NH90 is offered as Army version (TTH) and as Navy version (NFH). So far 25 NH90 were delivered, 50 are currently under production. It is a fly-by-wire and all-composite construction helicopter with the highest crash-worthiness-standards. The first customer of the NH90 in the Middle East is the Sultanate of Oman. In order to take into account the new military environment in the region, the Tiger is perfectly matching the new stakes as currently being the most modern combat helicopter in the world designed for the scenarios of the 21st century.

In total, 206 aircraft have been ordered by France, Germany, Australia and Spain and 48 Tigers have already been delivered. Based on a core platform which gives flexibility for the weaponry, the Tiger is delivered in various configurations: HAP (French Army), UHT (German Army), ARH for Australian Army and HAD version (France and Spain), which is perfectly adapted to the Middle East region thanks to its enhanced engine. Homeland security & civil missions

Police and law enforcement agencies are prime Eurocopter customers in a large number of Gulf countries. A complete range of Eurocopter light twin helicopters from 2 to 4 tons encompassing the Twinstar AS355, BK117, EC135, EC145 and Dauphin N3 are protecting the population in the Arab world.

The powerful and highly dependable Ecureuil AS350 B3 -that represents unrivalled versatile platform and requires low maintenance - is in operation in the UAE and Jordan and is primarily used for aerial work, training and utility mission like broadcasting.

Eurocopter Bids For Indian Helicopter Modernization / Eurocopter Committed To Be The Solution Provider For India’s Air Fleet Modernization

Eurocopter Bids For Indian Helicopter Modernization / Eurocopter Committed To Be The Solution Provider For India’s Air Fleet Modernization

(NSI News Source Info) February 18, 2009: Eurocopter is ready to offer what India needs for its helicopter requirements thanks to its wide range of products.

Norbert Ducrot, Eurocopter Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing Asia points out:

“As the Indian defence industry embarks on an intensive modernization campaign, Eurocopter is ready to provide perfect solutions for all requirements. By participating in the key RFPs with the best of our products, we hope to continue to support India in developing a strengthened aerospace industry.”

The Eurocopter Tiger (company designation EC 665) is an attack helicopter manufactured by Eurocopter. In Germany it is known as the Tiger; in France and Spain it is called the Tigre.

Indeed, Eurocopter has a long tradition of cooperation with India. Eurocopter has had a partnership with India’s leading local industrial company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) since 1962. Starting with enabling HAL to manufacture more than 600 helicopters of the Alouette 3 and Lama type (Cheetah/ Chetak), the relationship strengthened further with Eurocopter outsourcing exhaustive Ecureuil work packages to HAL for the global market. Today, HAL is part of Eurocopter’s global supply chain by producing Ecureuil/Fennec airframes.

In 2009, in the military environment, Eurocopter has a market share of 55%, comprising HAL-made helicopters, whereas it holds a market share of about 50 % of the civil helicopter market. Flying high on the international success of its wide range of products, Eurocopter will be showcasing models of its military range which are proposed to the Indian armed forces like Fennec, Tiger and EC725.

AS550 Fennec- best helicopter in its class, proven in extreme environment, the ideal choice for Indian Army and Air Force requirements;

FENNEC is a reference helicopter regarding extremely hot / desert operations and, since 2005, it has demonstrated the capability of landing on the top of the world, Mount Everest as well as on the Siachen Glacier in the Indian Himalayas. The AS550 FENNEC is also the only military certified helicopter in the world corresponding to the Indian Armed Forces requirements for Reconnaissance & Surveillance helicopters. In addition to this the FENNEC is the only one that exists in NAVAL military configurations available in both single and twin engine versions. The AS550 Fennec single-engine helicopter is in operation with the Singapore Armed Forces, the Royal Australian Army, the Brazilian Army and Air Force, the Danish Army, the French Army and the United Arab Emirates Army. Over 3,200 helicopters of the family have been ordered, of which over 2,500 have been delivered and are operational in over 70 countries.

The Tiger – Versatility and Stealth at its best;

The Tiger is the only combat helicopter in its class designed for the scenarios of the 21st century. It is the latest generation Attack Helicopter available on the market and already selected by different countries. It is considered the most multifunctional helicopter in the world. It is available in two basic versions the HAP combat support helicopter and the UHT anti-tank version, the first initially designed for the French Army and the second for the German Army, two versions having then derived from HAP: ARH for Australia and HAD for Spain and France. The Tiger is currently the most modern combat helicopter in the world. In total, 206 aircraft have been ordered by France, Germany, Australia and Spain, and 48 Tigers have already been delivered. These aircraft have recorded more than 13,000 flight hours.

EC 725 - Unrivalled mission package both for civil and military demands;

Originally designed to perform various missions, including SAR, Combat SAR, long distance tactical transport missions, the EC725 can also perform medical transport and logistical services. Additionally, it can be perfectly fitted for naval missions. It is an upgraded version of the internationally successful Cougar family. The aircraft has an exceptional fuel capacity and boasts a flight endurance of five-and-a-half hours.

The EC725 includes in flight refuelling capabilities from an air tanker aircraft, making this helicopter capable of very long distance deployment in hostile areas. Similarly, the EC725 is one of the very few helicopters in the world being equipped with a full de-icing system, allowing it to be totally immune to weather limitations, even in extremely cold and icy environment. As of November 2008, 96 EC725 had been ordered by 17 different countries. More recently, the Brazilian armed forces also recognized the multi-role capability of the aircraft and signed a contract for 50 EC725 helicopters.