The Polish Ministry of Health recently signed a contract with Eurocopter for 23 EC135s and an EC135 simulator. The aircraft will be employed within Poland’s emergency medical services (EMS) network. With deliveries set for 2009 and 2010, the EC135s will replace the aging fleet of Mi-2 helicopters. These aircraft will bring the Polish aeromedical evacuation system into complete conformity with the JAR OPS-3 requirements in Europe. The new fleet will be operated by the Polish Medical Air Rescue, a unit under the jurisdiction of the health ministry, and will be stationed at bases throughout the country. The company Heli Invest, which is based in Warsaw, will provide support for the new fleet with a complete range of customer support and maintenance services. Heli Invest is a PART 145-approved maintenance organization and recently signed a distribution agreement with Eurocopter. This is a major contract for Eurocopter in light of its strategy to penetrate the civil and parapublic markets in Eastern Europe.