Tuesday, May 08, 2012 -
The Kazakh government has ordered eight more EC145 search-and-rescue and medical evacuation helicopters, aircraft maker Eurocopter said Thursday.
The booking follows the acquisition of six EC145s last year that were assembled in-country by the EU-Kazakh joint venture Eurocopter Kazakhstan Engineering company.
The cost to Kazakhstan was not disclosed, but the order is part of an earlier agreement for 45 of the light utility aircraft.
"The new orders build on our successful cooperation with Kazakhstan, and will provide additional state-of-the-art helicopters to meet its vertical airlift needs in a full range of operations," said Olivier Michalon, Eurocopter's vice president of Global Business & Services for Europe and Central Asia.
"This marks a new step in our joint venture with Kazakhstan Engineering, which brings key capabilities in developing the country's aviation expertise," he added in a statement.
The latest order was announced Thursday at the KADEX-2012 military exposition in the Kazakh capital of Astana.
The Kazakh ministry of emergency situations will take six of the craft for medical evacuations, while the defense ministry will operate two on search and rescue missions.
The multi-role rotorcraft has a range of around 400 miles and a cruise speed of 150 miles per hour.