At an official ceremony held today at the ILA Berlin Air Show, the Bavarian State Minister of the Interior Joachim Herrmann accepted the keys to the eighth new EC 135 P2+ for the Bavarian Police. With this final delivery, the police force now has a full fleet of helicopters with the most advanced law enforcement equipment package available in the world.

The eight new helicopters represent a major investment in security for the Bavarian government, which launched an EU-wide call for tenders before accepting Eurocopter’s winning bid and reaffirming the company’s leading position in the helicopter market. With its superior maneuverability and full range of special equipment options, including FLIR cameras, rescue winches and a fire-fighting kit, the EC135 is the ideal helicopter for police missions. Reputed for its low running costs, reliability and safety, it can be quickly configured for any type of mission, be it searching for missing persons, tracking down criminals, monitoring traffic congestion or rescuing people in danger.

The EC135’s special law enforcement package includes a FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) camera, a high-resolution digital camera with day and night vision, SatCOM, GPS, a digital map system, tetra digital radio, an FLARM collision warning system, a tactical direction-finder, a digital flight management system and a GSM telephone system. The helicopter is certified for IFR flight (Instrument Flight Rules) and has a glass cockpit approved for use with night-vision goggles. It is also equipped with a roping system, a cargo hook and with four rescue winches that can optionally be fitted to any of the eight helicopters as needed. The contract signed with the Bavarian ministry also includes a ten-year ‘Power-by-the-Hour’ service agreement.

Improved security—successful police work using the EC135

Last year, the Bavarian Police Helicopter Squadron flew 3,345 missions, totaling some 4,000 flight hours. Over 35 percent of these missions involved searches for missing persons, another 15 percent were for criminal investigations, and ten percent were training flights. Aerial photography made up fifteen percent of the missions, mainly for securing evidence in connection with criminal investigations. A wide variety of transport and rescue missions accounted for the remaining hours, and included the transfer of dangerous criminals and assistance for emergency services requiring helicopters with rescue or intensive-care equipment.

Source: EADS