The latest member of Eurocopter's civil range has enjoyed worldwide success in the Homeland Security and Emergency Medical Services sectors. In the version known as the UH145, it is currently part of an invitation for bids announced by the US Army for 322 helicopters to perform homeland security missions.

First commercialized in the summer of 2002, the initial results for the EC145 have been excellent: as of the beginning of February, the 85 machines currently in service have already chalked up more than 69,000 flight hours, including 1,900 for the fleet's leading helicopter operated by the Hesse Police Force in Germany. Fifty-nine of the helicopters fly in Europe, sixteen in North America, six in the Far East, three in Central America, and one in Australia.

The EC145 will also be seen in the skies in new countries in 2006: Canada, Belgium, Italy, Russia, Lithuania, India, and South American countries. The French “Sécurité Civile”, the helicopter's launch customer, operates the largest fleet, with 31 machines. The French Gendarmerie is second on the list, with a total of eight. Both customers perform homeland security missions with their EC145s. Air Methods, the number one E145 operator in the United States, owns three of the aircraft, which are flown by Vanderbilt Lifeflight.

The Switzerland operator Rega Swiss Air Ambulance operates five (see testimony). Approximately 60% of the EC145 missions are for homeland security (transport of Special Forces, border patrols, law enforcement, air rescues, etc.) and 32% are for emergency medical services. Recently, two sectors with high growth potential, the oil industry and VIP transport, have been added to the EC145's job description.

Since 2005, the EC145s of the Mexican operator Transportes Aeréos Pegaso have been flying to oil platforms near the coast (30 to 40 miles off shore) in the Gulf of Mexico. As for VIP transport, it boasts the highest rate of growth. The production rate of the EC145 will be boosted by nearly 50% in 2006. The helicopter, which is equipped for instrument flight rules (IFR) and night flight with night vision goggles (NVG), has proven its multifunction capabilities to meet the many different needs of its operators.