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Africa: The Long Arm of the AS350 B3 AStar

On January 19, the Botswana Police Air Support Unit received its first two AS350 B3 AStars, opening a new chapter in the countr y’s crime prevention and law enforcement history. Eurocopter also provided training for six pilots and three technicians, and a third AS350 B3 is scheduled for delivery later in the year.
A few days later, Eurocopter delivered an AS350 B3 AStar to Namibia’s Police Airwing at a ceremony held in Windhoek. The helicopter will be used to fight crime throughout the country. Eurocopter is also providing all the necessary support–tooling and spare parts– to ensure maximum availability for the AStar. In both cases, the AS350 B3 was selected for its unequalled performance levels–in particular in “hot and high” conditions.


© Eurocopter / E. L. de Klerk
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© JC Vermaak-South Africain Police Service
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Japan: An order for the EC135

© Eurocopter / J. Deulin
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The Japan Ministry of Defense ordered two EC135s from Euroheli, Eurocopter’s distributor in Japan, and a second contract for three additional EC135s is to follow next year. The goal is to ultimately obtain fifteen EC135s to provide training for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. The contract signing, which took place on February 26, capped off a rigorous selection process, in which the performance levels of the helicopter and its cost over its entire life cycle were assessed. The first two EC135s are scheduled for delivery at the end of the year, and will be used by the Naval Training School of Kanoya, on the island of Kyushu.
The new fleet of EC135s will join the three EC225s in VIP configuration that entered service with the Japan Self-Defense Forces last year.

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Japan: A Stronger Presence

Eurocopter has strengthened its presence in Japan by increasing its share of capital in its distributor Euroheli to 90% and merging the company with its subsidiary Eurocopter Japan. The new entity, based in Tokyo, has retained the name Eurocopter Japan and has been operational since April 1, 2009. This strategic decision is in line with Eurocopter’s policy of reinforcing and further developing its subsidiaries throughout the world.
Eurocopter Japan has several objectives: Become a true Japanese entity while retaining direct ties with the parent company, develop local service and support activities and bolster Eurocopter’s corporate image and credibility inside the country. This is an absolute must for the Group to increase its share in the Japanese defense market, where Eurocopter has just recently gained a foothold.