Airbus’ 1,000th Super Puma helicopter – A civil H215 to be operated by the German Federal Police
Marignane – Airbus Helicopters has delivered its 1,000th Super Puma helicopter: a twin-engine multi-role H215 assembled in Marignane, France, and handed over to the German Federal Police (Bundespolizei) to support the German Havarie Command, which manages maritime emergencies off of Germany’s coast.
This delivery completes the German Federal Police’s order for four H215s, the first three of which were delivered in December 2018, and increases the German Federal Police’s Super Puma fleet to 23, including 19 AS332 L1s, making the police force one of the largest operators of Super Pumas in the world today.
“The Super Puma family of civil and military helicopters has consistently performed well thanks to its ability to appeal to many different mission segments, whether you’re fighting fires, building power lines, transporting troops, or saving lives in extreme environments,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters. “Thanks to our close partnerships with long-standing customers like the German Federal Police, who we are honoured will operate our 1000th Super Puma, we are able to continuously improve so that this important product continues to meet the evolving market needs for decades to come.”
Today, the Super Puma is operated by nearly 100 customers in 59 countries representing all regions of the world. The Super Puma family is composed of the H215 and H225 for the civil market, produced by Airbus Helicopters for law enforcement, aerial work, search and rescue, offshore transport and governmental missions, and appreciated for their versatility and ability to operate in extreme environmental conditions. In the military sector, Airbus Helicopters offers the H215M and H225M for search and rescue, troop transport, special ops and utility missions, among others.
Airbus is a global leader in aeronautics, space and related services. In 2018, it generated revenues of €64 billion and employed a workforce of around 134,000. Airbus offers the most comprehensive range of passenger airliners. Airbus is also a European leader providing tanker, combat, transport and mission aircraft, as well as one of the world’s leading space companies. In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions worldwide.
São Paulo, Brazil, July 11, 2019 – The Portuguese Government announced today a firm order of five multi-mission airlifters Embraer KC-390 as part of the process to modernize Portuguese Air Force capacities to support national Armed Forces operations and increase readiness in missions of public interest. Deliveries are scheduled to start in 2023.
The KC-390 is designed to set new standards for efficiency and productivity in its category while presenting the lowest life-cycle cost of the market. The aircraft can perform different types of military and civilian missions including humanitarian support, medical evacuation, search and rescue and firefighting, while fully meeting the requirements of the Portuguese Air Force, adding new superior cargo and troops transport, aerial delivery and aerial refueling capabilities.
“Today is a historic day for the KC-390 Program and I want to thank those who have contributed to the project. This is a very important step to consolidate the aircraft which we believe will become another success for Embraer. The Portuguese KC-390 will meet new interoperability requirements, in the areas of secure navigation, data and voice transmission that will allow the KC-390 to integrate joint operations in multinational alliances in which Portugal is integrated. These requirements, developed in partnership with the Portuguese Air Force, will enable the KC-390 to meet the needs of many other nations around the world.” said Jackson Schneider, President and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security. “The industrial partnership between Portugal and Embraer contributes to the development of engineering and the Portuguese aeronautics industry, representing more than 300 million euros in exports each year and thousands of highly skilled jobs.”
Portugal is the largest international partner of the KC-390 Program and its participation in the development and production of the aircraft is recognized as having had a positive economic impact in the generation of jobs, new investments, increased exports and technological advances.
The KC-390 has received its Civil Certification from the Brazilian National Aviation Agency (ANAC) in 2018 and is now in full serial production. Entry into service is expected to occur in the 3rd quarter of 2019 with the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), with follow on deliveries to occur throughout the year.
PARIS, June 18, 2019––Longview Aviation Capital (“Longview”) and its subsidiary Viking Air Limited, a global leader of utility aircraft, support and services and manufacturer of the world-renowned Twin Otter, today announced a seven aircraft sales contract for six new-production CL-515 aircraft and one CL-415EAF.
The CL-515 is a newly developed, technically advanced multi-mission aerial firefighting aircraft – the next generation of the CANADAIR CL-415, the aviation industry’s benchmark amphibious aircraft and the backbone of firefighting missions around the globe. With enhanced firefighting capabilities, and the flexibility to support a wide range of critical mission operations, the CL-515 will be a vitally important strategic asset to fleets around the world.
The Republic of Indonesia’s Ministry of Defense has agreed to purchase six all-new CL-515 aircraft, four of which will be delivered in “First Responder” multi-mission configuration, and two delivered in optimized aerial firefighter configuration. The purchase agreement also includes one CANADAIR CL-415EAF “Enhanced Aerial Firefighter” aircraft converted from a CANADAIR CL-215 to EAF standard by Longview Aviation Capital’s subsidiary, Longview Aviation Services.
The Republic of Indonesia’s purchase agreement is a firm commitment that is conditional only on Longview Aviation Capital’s Board of Directors approving the production launch program.
“We are thrilled to welcome the Republic of Indonesia as the first customer for this extraordinary aircraft,” said David Curtis, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Longview Aviation Capital. ”This contract is a major milestone in bringing the next generation CANADAIR to market. The confidence of a sovereign government in our program is matched by our own confidence in our ability to deliver this new aircraft platform to the world. We are very well advanced in all aspects of program planning, including our supply chain, and we are nearing a final decision on manufacturing and final assembly sites. We expect to complete the remaining program milestones in the near future, and deliver the first new CL-515 on schedule in 2024.”
Program Development Process
Since acquiring the type certificates for the CANADAIR amphibious aircraft program from Bombardier in 2016, Longview has had positive discussions with numerous potential customers from around the world, including both governments and private operators, who have enthusiastically encouraged a production restart.
On the basis of the global interest in the unique and unrivalled capabilities of the CL-515, Longview and Viking have invested in a rigorous process ahead of full production launch decision:
Consulted extensively with current global operators to understand their future aerial firefighting resource requirements
Conducted
extensive market research and feasibility studies and developed a new
all-season multi-mission platform, leveraging advanced technology not
previously included in the CL program
Consulted with key supplier partners
Undertaken
advanced supply chain and manufacturing planning, including options
associated with Longview’s current facilities and potential new
facilities in Western Canada
CL-515 Highlights
Up to 15% better aerial firefighting productivity, including increased tank capacity and ability to refill in 14 seconds
State-of-the-art Collins Pro Line Fusion® digital avionics suite for unrivaled situational awareness
Flexible architecture to support multi-mission capabilities including aerial firefighting, maritime patrol, surveillance, medevac, environmental monitoring, insect control, oil spill detection and dispersant
Reduced maintenance and operating costs through improved, scalable avionics and superior design
Unmatched mission efficiency and flexibility, requiring no runway or reloading capacity during waterbombing firefighting
“Indonesia is on the front lines of increasing challenges like forest fires, and as an island nation has extensive needs for a range of amphibious capabilities,” said Air Chief Marshal Yuyu Sutisna, chief of staff for Indonesia’s Air Force. “We have chosen to invest in this aircraft based on the CANADAIR’s solid track record demonstrated around the world over the last 50 years, and Viking’s established capabilities as an aircraft developer and producer. The next generation CL-515 will have unmatched operational performance, particularly as a firefighter. This aircraft has the best productivity of any aerial firefighting aircraft, capable of delivering the highest quantity of foam retardant per day, while at the same time providing the flexibility to save lives and protect our coastal areas through its multi-role SAR and Maritime Surveillance functionalities. We are proud to sign the first contract for this extraordinary aircraft that will enhance our mission capability at excellent value.”
