Airbus Helicopters has delivered two H145s to the Ecuadorian Air Force, the first military customer in South America for this multipurpose twin-engine helicopter. A total of six H145s will be delivered over the next year. The H145 helicopters, known as “Cobra” in the Ecuadorian Air Force, will be assigned to the 22nd Combat Wing in Guayaquil. The contract includes the training of 12 pilots and 15 technicians, as part of an operational training program in the country.
“We are delighted to have new, advanced technology equipment to help address our country's operational challenges, where high-performance helicopters are needed to fly in the Andes at up to 6.000 meters (20.000 feet), in the jungle or on the coast,” he said. Colonel Franck Cevallos, commander of the 22nd Wing of the Ecuadorian Air Force.
“Thanks to the mission equipment installed, it will be possible to move quickly from a rescue mission to a transport mission, strengthening the Air Force's response capacity for disaster relief and other public missions”, added Colonel Chiriboga, Chief of Air Operations in the Ecuadorian Air Force.
The six H145 helicopters will help with missions related to national security, such as border surveillance and the fight against drug trafficking, in addition to carrying out rescue operations at high altitudes, medical evacuation (MedEvac) and assistance in cases of natural disasters, both during the day and at night. night. This wide range of mission capabilities is due to the variety of equipment included, such as a cargo hook, rescue crane, stretchers, searchlight, electro-optical camera for reconnaissance, etc.
“I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the Ecuadorian Air Force, which today celebrates its 100th anniversary. The new H145 will increase their operational capacity thanks to their versatility and high performance in high and high temperature conditions, and will allow them to tackle any mission with greater efficiency and serenity", said Julien Negrel, Commercial Vice President of Airbus Helicopters for Latin America . “Ecuador's Ministry of Defense has been an Airbus customer for 40 years and I appreciate their trust in our brand when it comes to renewing the country's air capabilities with state-of-the-art helicopters.”
In Ecuador, there are currently around 40 Airbus helicopters in operation with civil and military customers.
Source: Airbus
