Japan Coast Guard orders three additional H225 helicopters

Airbus Helicopters has been awarded a contract from the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) for the purchase of three additional H225s. This new order will bring the JCG’s total H225 fleet to nine units by February 2020. The JCG already placed an order for a sixth H225 in 2016, which will be delivered in 2018.

Under the agreement, the three H225 helicopters will be used for security enforcement, Japanese territorial coastal activities, as well as disaster relief missions.

“The Japan Coast Guard has been operating helicopters from the Super Puma family for 25 years, and this H225 follow-on order illustrates our customer’s confidence in our product and the dedicated support we have provided to the team over the years”, said Olivier Tillier, Managing Director of Airbus Helicopters in Japan. “The H225 is the perfect choice for JCG’s missions including search and rescue, and coastal and islands protection, given its versatility in all weather conditions. The Airbus Helicopters team in Japan will continue to render our utmost support to guarantee the continued availability of our customer’s H225 fleet.”

Currently operating eight helicopters from the Super Puma family, the JCG first introduced Airbus Helicopters’ AS332 L1 into its fleet in 1992, and subsequently welcomed its first H225 in 2008.  With this latest order, the JCG’s Super Puma fleet will eventually grow to eleven units by 2020.

The H225, the latest member of Airbus Helicopters’ Super Puma family, is an 11-ton-category
twin-turbine rotorcraft which accommodates up to 19 passengers. Equipped with state-of-the-art electronic instruments and autopilot system, the H225 offers outstanding endurance and fast cruise speed, and may be fitted with various equipment to suit any role.

Specifically in Japan, a total of 25 helicopters from the Super Puma family are currently flown by civil, parapublic operators and Japan Ministry of Defense for various search and rescue missions, offshore operations, VIP, fire-fighting, and passenger and goods transportation.