Eurocopter and international helicopter support company Heli-One have joined forces to bid for the Norwegian All Weather Search and Rescue Helicopter (NAWSARH) contract under the banner Team NORDSAR.
The two companies are offering a tailored version on the EC225 - dubbed the NORDSAR - designed, they say, for SAR missions in the Nordic region. Aircraft maintenance and logistic support will be provided by Heli-One's Norwegian operation.
"The NAWSARH competition is seeking a new helicopter fleet capable of flying in challenging mountainous and coastal areas, as well as long-reach missions in the harsh Barents Sea," says Eurocopter.
"In its specific NORDSAR configuration, the medium twin-engined EC225 will meet Norway's requirements for offshore and mountain SAR missions, ensuring total operational flexibility in daily service," it continues.
The EC225 is already on "high readiness alert" in the SAR role in Hammerfest, in northern Norway, and operates in an offshore capacity around the North Sea.
Source: Flight International
