Bell Helicopter has secured a 16-unit order from the Philippines for 412EPI medium-twins for operation by the country's air force.
To be used for a variety of missions – including disaster relief, search and rescue, passenger transport and utility transport – the rotorcraft have been acquired via a government-to-government agreement with export agency, the Canadian Commercial Corporation. Bell assembles the 412EPI at its factory in Mirabel, Canada.
“We are honoured that the Bell 412 will continue to serve the Philippines through the Philippine air force for many more years to come," says Sameer Rehman, managing director of Bell Helicopter Asia-Pacific.
“Bell’s helicopters have been a key component for the Philippine air force in the past and we look forward to bringing these aircraft into service quickly to serve the citizens of the Philippines.”
Manila already operates a number of derivatives of the UH-1, most recently taking delivery of the last of seven 412EPs in 2015.
The latest iteration of the long-running type, the 412EPI, is powered by twin PT6T-9 engines and features a Bell BasiX Pro glass cockpit.
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Source: FlightGlobal.com
