Revamping the Skies: Airbus Helicopters Enhances Sécurité Civile’s Fleet of 35 EC145s
Marignane, 12 May 2016 – Airbus Helicopters has secured a contract from the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) to upgrade the avionics suite of 35 EC145 helicopters utilized by the Sécurité Civile, a key agency within the French Ministry of Interior responsible for vital search and rescue and medical evacuation operations across the nation.
This avionics retrofit will ensure that all helicopters incorporate an enhanced avionics suite, enabling them to conduct missions under various weather conditions while adhering to the latest Performance Based Navigation standards, thus maintaining the highest safety levels.
“We are thrilled by the trust that the Sécurité Civile has shown in our support and services with this second contract in less than a year,” stated Matthieu Louvot, Executive Vice President of Customer Support and Services at Airbus Helicopters. “It is a significant honor for us to be recognized as the preferred industrial partner for this prestigious EC145 operator, for which we are also delivering a comprehensive, end-to-end global service solution.”
The retrofit of the 35 helicopters builds upon a global service contract awarded to Airbus Helicopters in late 2015 for the EC145 fleet operated by Sécurité Civile and Gendarmerie Nationale. Under this new contract, the aircraft will undergo retrofitting over a seven-year period, facilitated by Airbus Helicopters staff stationed at the Sécurité Civile base in Nîmes, ensuring minimal disruption to operational activities. The necessary mechanical and electrical enhancements to integrate features such as LPV/SBAS guidance, digital mapping, and GPS installations have been optimized to streamline the retrofit process.
“This retrofit program guarantees that our EC145s will consistently meet the most rigorous operational demands while maintaining top-notch safety standards,” remarked Victor Devouge, head of aviation resources for the Sécurité Civile. “Our fleet is currently operating at an impressive availability rate of approximately 95%, which is crucial for executing our daily missions,” he added.
Since its establishment in 1957, the helicopter division of Sécurité Civile has maintained a fleet of 35 EC145 helicopters, on call 24/7 throughout France for search and rescue and medical evacuation missions. In 2015 alone, the division logged over 16,000 flight hours, successfully rescuing 16,000 individuals.
The Military Support Centre France (MSC-F) is a dedicated organization from Airbus Helicopters, tailored to provide comprehensive support to all French military and state clients, ensuring that their individual needs are met with precision and efficiency. This initiative underscores Airbus Helicopters’ commitment to delivering superior service and innovative solutions.
