Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, announced today a signed purchase agreement with the New South Wales Police Force for the first Bell 412EPI helicopter to be operated in Australia. Based in Sydney, Australia, the New South Wales Police will take delivery of the new aircraft in late 2014 where it will be used for both tactical and response missions.

“We are honored to be selected by the New South Wales Police Force to provide this capability,” said Danny Maldonado, Bell Helicopter’s executive vice president of Sales and Marketing. “The selection of the new Bell 412 EPI by the New South Wales Police once again demonstrates that the Bell 412 continues to be the cornerstone of mission critical helicopter operations throughout the world.”

First introduced in March 2013, the Bell 412EPI improves the Bell 412EP platform with the Bell BasiX Pro™ fully integrated glass flight deck, providing critical flight information at a glance for greater situational awareness and safety. The Bell BasiX Pro™ system is specifically designed to meet the requirements of twin-engine helicopters and is optimized for IFR, Category A and JAR OPS3 compliant operations. The avionics suite also includes high resolution digital maps, electronic charts and approach plates, ADS-B transponder and optional HTAWS and XM satellite links. The new Bell 412EPI also incorporates the power of Pratt & Whitney’s PT6T-9 Twin Pac® engines, providing 15 percent more horsepower than the standard Bell 412. The Bell 412EPI features the BLR Strake and FastFin® system, which modifies the tailboom to optimize airflow and improve handling, safety and lift.

Bell Helicopter press release