AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, announced that the Dubai Police will operate five AW169 light intermediate helicopters to perform a range of missions including law  enforcement, emergency medical services and VIP transport.

This contract marks the entrance of the AW169 into the Middle East parapublic helicopter market and further expands the success of the AW169 in the United Arab Emirates, where it has also been ordered to carry out VIP and passenger transport operations. The introduction of the AW169 for a range of public utility applications in the UAE follows the success of the AW139 for government and parapublic roles in the country.

A versatile, new generation twin engine light intermediate category helicopter, the AW169 has been designed in response to the growing market demand for an aircraft that delivers high performance, meets all the latest safety standards and has multi-role capabilities. The 4.5 tonne AW169 incorporates several new technology features to provide the highest levels of safety and operational benefits for its customers. The AW169 is set to be the most advanced and cost effective helicopter in its class for a number of applications such as passenger and offshore transport, EMS, SAR, law enforcement and utility.

With all four prototypes having logged more than 470 flight hours so far, the AW169 is on schedule to obtain certification in 2014 together with a comprehensive set of mission kits, dedicated support services and training systems, including a full flight simulator.

Agusta Westland press release