AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, and Mitsui Bussan Aerospace are pleased to announce that the Japan Coast Guard has signed contracts for six more AW139 medium twin helicopters. These aircraft will be deployed at Japan Coast Guard bases throughout Japan and used to perform search and rescue and maritime patrol missions. With this latest contract the Japan Coast Guard has ordered a total of eleven AW139 helicopters, increasing the number of AW139 helicopters sold into Japan to seventeen. This number includes the law enforcement helicopters currently in service with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police TMP and the new contract with the Japan National Police for the Chiba prefecture and the electronic news gathering configured helicopters currently operating with NHK and Kansai TV.

Andrew Symonds, President, AgustaWestland Japan, said “We are happy that the Japan Coast Guard has decided to expand its fleet of AW139’s in the framework of its fleet modernization programme which envisages the introduction of up to 24 new platforms. This new order provides clear evidence of the customer’s confidence with the outstanding operational capabilities and cost/effectiveness of the platform and we are confident that sales of the AW139 will continue to grow throughout Japan in the future.”

The Japan Coast Guard’s AW139’s are equipped for all-weather, day/night and ship-based operations, with a comprehensive mission equipment package that includes a rescue hoist, high definition FLIR, communications and navigation equipment package. The AW139 has rapidly become the medium twin helicopter of choice for search and rescue missions around the world. It has been ordered or is now in service with a number of leading rescue operators in many countries also including Japan, South Korea, the UK, Italy, Spain, Estonia, Cyprus, UAE and Malaysia. The AW139 has become the benchmark medium-twin helicopter and orders for over 460 helicopters have been placed by over 130 commercial and government customers in almost 50 countries to carry out a wide range of roles including search and rescue, emergency medical services, offshore transport, VIP/corporate transport, electronic new gathering, law enforcement, homeland security and military utility transport.

Source: Agusta Westland