Corporate

Eurocopter becomes Turkey’s preferred supplier of air ambulance helicopters with an order for 17 EC135s to be operated by THK Gökçen Aviation

Marignane, France, May 6, 2013 Eurocopter’s EC135 will perform medical airlift duties throughout Turkey with a fleet of 17 helicopters to be flown by the Turkish Aeronautical Association’s THK Gökçen Aviation commercial arm, marking the latest major contract win for this twin-engine rotorcraft in the international emergency medical services (EMS) marketplace.

Eurocopter’s EC135 will perform medical airlift duties throughout Turkey with a fleet of 17 helicopters to be flown by the Turkish Aeronautical Association’s THK Gökçen Aviation commercial arm, marking the latest major contract win for this twin-engine rotorcraft in the international emergency medical services (EMS) marketplace.

Operations are to begin this August with an initial five EC135s, followed by a build-up to the full complement of 17 rotary-wing aircraft. The EC135 was selected for these life-critical services by the team of THK Gökçen Aviation and Saran Holding – which won a five-year air ambulance service tender from the Turkish Ministry of Health.

“Eurocopter is committed to supporting Turkey in emergency medical services, which constitute one of the most critical uses of a helicopter,” said Olivier Lambert, Eurocopter’s Senior Vice President for Sales and Customer Relations. “Therefore, we are proud to be working with THK Gökçen Aviation in demonstrating the direct benefit of our helicopters to the Turkish population.”
 

© Eurocopter

Osman Yildirim, President of THK added: “We are very happy to realize a contract with Eurocopter and to enhance our strategic and fruitful cooperation in the Turkish market.”

Turkey’s choice further underscores Eurocopter’s competitiveness in a growing market where the EC135 already is the helicopter of reference in emergency medical services worldwide. Approximately 25 percent of all EMS helicopter operations are performed with the EC135. To date, some 500 of these rotorcraft have been delivered in EMS configurations out of the total 1,095 EC135s in service around the world.

The EC135 combines a wide, unobstructed cabin with excellent performance, range and payload capacity – along with low-noise operations. The helicopter’s oversized sliding side doors and rear clamshell doors enable fast loading/unloading of patients – with additional safety during ground operations ensured by Eurocopter’s shrouded Fenestron® tail rotor.

About Eurocopter
Established in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group is a division of EADS, a world leader in aerospace and defense-related services. The Eurocopter Group employs approximately 22,000 people. In 2012, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer with a turnover of 6.3 billion Euros, orders for 469 new helicopters and a 44 percent market share in the civil and parapublic sectors. Eurocopter’s worldwide network of service centers, training facilities, distributors and certified agents supports more than 2,900 customers. There are currently more than 11,780 Eurocopter helicopters in service in 148 countries. Eurocopter offers the most comprehensive civil and military helicopter range in the world and is fully committed to safety as the most important aspect of its business (www.eurocopter.com).


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EADS North America delivers 250th on-time, on-budget UH-72A Lakota helicopter to U.S. Army

IHERNDON, Va., Apr. 25, 2013 The U.S. Army has fielded the 250th UH-72A Lakota helicopter delivered to Army and National Guard units by EADS North America since 2006. Every Lakota – including an additional five produced for the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School – has been delivered on time and on budget, by an American workforce that is more than 50 percent U.S. military veterans.

The U.S. Army has fielded the 250th UH-72A Lakota helicopter delivered to Army and National Guard units by EADS North America since 2006. Every Lakota – including an additional five produced for the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School – has been delivered on time and on budget, by an American workforce that is more than 50 percent U.S. military veterans.

The combined Lakota fleet’s operations have now exceeded 150,000 flight hours, while maintaining greater than 90 percent availability. The Lakota is the Army’s newest helicopter, with the lowest cost to fly, own and operate of any U.S. military helicopter in production.

The Lakota is manufactured at EADS North America’s American Eurocopter facility in Columbus, Miss.

“In today’s budget environment, the Pentagon needs programs that deliver what’s been promised, and we’re proud to have worked with the Army to field this capability unfailingly on schedule and on cost,” said Sean O’Keefe, EADS North America Chairman and CEO.

Army Lt. Col. David Cheney, the UH-72A Product Manager, stated, “The UH-72A Lakota helicopter program continues on schedule, within budget and is serving the Soldier very well. The success of this aircraft and program is a testament to EADS North America's team's determination to provide the best support for the Army and homeland security missions.”

The 250th Army Lakota will be operated out of Oklahoma City by the Oklahoma National Guard. It is the latest of 54 Lakotas delivered with the Security and Support (S&S) Battalion mission equipment package, which expands the Lakota’s capabilities for missions ranging from disaster response to border security operations.

The S&S configuration includes a moving map, EO/IR sensor, digital video recording capability, digital and analog downlink, and a searchlight. Army National Guard units across the country currently operate Lakotas equipped with the S&S Battalion MEP, including extensive operations along the U.S. southwest border for border security and drug interdiction.

A combination of full contractor logistics support (CLS) for the active Army and hybrid CLS for the Army National Guard enables the units to operate the Lakota in accordance with their flying hour plan. The Army program office, military units, and the industry team of EADS North America, American Eurocopter and Helicopter Support International has provided tailored program logistics to the Army and Army National Guard since 2006.

The UH-72A Lakota is manufactured in Columbus, Mississippi,
by a workforce that is more than 50 percent military veterans.
© EADS-NA

The Lakota fleet has averaged an operational availability rate greater than 90 percent for locations with full contractor logistics support, encompassing 21 different military units. Spare parts fill rate under the hybrid CLS concept supporting 33 units has averaged 97 percent.

The UH-72A is a Defense Acquisition Category (ACAT) I major defense acquisition program, and was one of the most rapid introductions of a new aircraft in the U.S. Army’s history. Deliveries of the aircraft to National Guard units allow aging OH-58 and UH-1 rotary-wing aircraft to be retired, while UH-72As assigned to the active component of the U.S. Army free up UH-60 Black Hawks for assignment to combat missions.

About EADS North America
EADS North America is the U.S.-based operation of EADS, a global leader in aerospace, defense, and related services. EADS contributes more than $13 billion to the U.S. economy annually and supports over 225,000 American jobs through its network of suppliers. EADS North America, headquartered in Herndon, Va., offers a broad array of advanced solutions to meet U.S. military and commercial requirements, including fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, homeland security systems, public safety communications, defense electronics and avionics, and threat detection systems.

About American Eurocopter
American Eurocopter is a helicopter manufacturer that produces, markets, sells and supports the broadest range of civil and para-public helicopters offered by any manufacturer in the United States. The company is a subsidiary of EADS North America Holdings, the North American operations of EADS, a global leader in aerospace, defense and related services, and is an affiliate of Eurocopter, the largest helicopter manufacturer in the world. American Eurocopter’s product line represents the most cost-effective, technologically-advanced helicopters, ranging from light single to heavy twin, serving all markets and missions. Company headquarters and main facilities are located in Grand Prairie, Texas, with a large manufacturing and production facility in Columbus, Miss., that produces the UH-72A for the U.S. Army’s Lakota program.

About EADS
EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defense and related services. In 2012, the Group – comprising Airbus, Astrium, Cassidian and Eurocopter – generated revenues of € 56.5 billion and employed a workforce of over 140,000.

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www.uh-72a.com

Eurocopter validates its optionally piloted helicopter capabilities with successful unmanned EC145 demonstration flights at Istres, France

Istres, France, April 25, 2013 Eurocopter’s ability to integrate unmanned flight capabilities into its helicopter family has been validated by an optionally piloted vehicle (OPV) demonstration program, which used an EC145 to fly routes that included deployment of an external sling load and a representative observation mission.

Eurocopter’s ability to integrate unmanned flight capabilities into its helicopter family has been validated by an optionally piloted vehicle (OPV) demonstration program, which used an EC145 to fly routes that included deployment of an external sling load and a representative observation mission.

Conducted at the French Air Force base in Istres, France, this program was revealed today with an unmanned demonstration, which followed similar flights performed earlier in April.

With this capability fully validated, Eurocopter is now positioned to pursue OPV flight capabilities for its product line of light, medium and heavy-lift helicopters – enabling these rotorcraft to be flown by pilots or in an unmanned mode.
 

© Eurocopter

“Eurocopter innovation is once again expanding the mission capabilities of helicopters, and we are ready to apply the proven optionally piloted vehicle competence in meeting customers’ needs,” explained Eurocopter Chief Technical Officer Jean-Brice Dumont. “This latest achievement results from our company’s expertise in flight control and autopilot systems, human-machine interface, system architecture and integration.”

Today’s unmanned demonstration – along with the previous flights– used a four-dimensional flight plan that was uploaded to the helicopter, with its starting and completion points situated on the Istres Air Force Base’s Runway 15/33. After an automatic takeoff, the EC145 flew the circuit via multiple pre-programmed waypoints, during which the helicopter performed a mid-route hover to deploy a load from the external sling. The EC145 continued on a return route segment representing a typical observation mission, followed by an automatic landing.

For delivery of the external load, the helicopter entered a planned hover – enabling the ground station controller to provide flight control inputs in orienting the EC145 over the drop point. The ground controller then transmitted a command to release load once the helicopter and load were correctly positioned.

The OPV flight capability was developed in an internally-funded Eurocopter program, and was coordinated by a team at the company’s Donauwörth, Germany facility. Initial tests with a monitoring pilot aboard the EC145 were flown from Donauwörth and then at Istres.

The EC145 demonstrator is a Eurocopter testbed helicopter with an enhanced dual-duplex four-axis automatic flight control system (AFCS) and the latest navigation systems. In addition, the helicopter is fitted with the “plug-in” OPV avionics rack in its cabin behind the pilot seats, which contains the data link subsystems.

Visibility during the EC145’s unmanned flights was provided to the ground station via onboard cameras. They were complemented by an external gimbaled camera on the helicopter for infrared and daylight mission imaging.

Eurocopter’s OPV system was configured to enable uploading of the four-dimensional flight plans to the helicopter via data link from the ground station. The system included an automatic hover-to-land capability in case of major system degradation.
Follow this event on http://press.eurocopter.com/en/gallery/aflight

About Eurocopter
Established in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group is a division of EADS, a world leader in aerospace and defense-related services. The Eurocopter Group employs approximately 22,000 people. In 2012, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer with a turnover of 6.3 billion Euros, orders for 469 new helicopters and a 44 percent market share in the civil and parapublic sectors. Eurocopter’s worldwide network of service centers, training facilities, distributors and certified agents supports more than 2,900 customers. There are currently more than 11,780 Eurocopter helicopters in service in 148 countries. Eurocopter offers the most comprehensive civil and military helicopter range in the world and is fully committed to safety as the most important aspect of its business (www.eurocopter.com).


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Eurocopter UK reinforces its British private/VIP market leadership with the delivery of three AS350 and EC120 helicopters

Oxford, England, April 24, 2013 With a series of deliveries, Eurocopter has further extended its lead in Britain’s private/VIP market and once more confirmed the company’s role as Britain’s civil helicopter hub. Two of the rotorcraft are the AS350 B3e evolved members of Eurocopter’s Ecureuil family, while the third is an EC120 B.

With a series of deliveries, Eurocopter has further extended its lead in Britain’s private/VIP market and once more confirmed the company’s role as Britain’s civil helicopter hub. Two of the rotorcraft are the AS350 B3e evolved members of Eurocopter’s Ecureuil family, while the third is an EC120 B.

The design and customization activities for these aircraft were performed in the UK, with the Eurocopter UK subsidiary applying its onshore expertise in work ranging from avionics integration to interior design and outfitting, as well as installation of other customer-defined systems such as radar altimeters and iPads.

“Tailored solutions based on British design, parts manufacturing, integration, flight testing and certification have made us the preferred choice of UK customers in this market segment,” said Markus Steinke, Managing Director of Eurocopter UK Limited. “We are proud to continue the expansion of our unique civil helicopter heritage, skills and customer base, and will continue to extend Britain’s civil helicopter hub even more in the future.”
 

© Eurocopter  Anthony Pecchi

A fleet of 314 turbine helicopters is operated by private and business aviation customers across the UK, which represents the largest market of its kind in Europe, and is ranked third worldwide. With close to 40% of this fleet in Britain, Eurocopter provides more than any other helicopter manufacturer.

The single-engine EC120 B and AS350 B3e helicopters completed by Eurocopter UK offer versatility, affordability, high safety standards and minimum life cycle cost in the lightweight rotorcraft category.

As the latest version of Eurocopter’s powerful seven-seat 2.3-ton AS350 family, the AS350 B3e is powered by a Turbomeca Arriel 2D turboshaft engine with new-generation digital FADEC, and incorporates an engine data recorder for condition monitoring. It is designed to perform demanding missions in the most extreme weather and geographical conditions, with the high endurance, extended range and fast cruise speed positioning the AS350 B3e as the leader in its class. Overall, 4,900 Ecureuils have been delivered in 98 countries worldwide for approximately 1,600 operators. These aircraft have cumulated more than 22 million flight hours. Eurocopter’s smaller EC120 B results from 50 years experience in designing, manufacturing and supporting light single-engine helicopters. A total of 660 EC120 Bs have been delivered around the globe so far, and have completed nearly 1 million flight hours.

About Eurocopter UK Ltd.
Eurocopter UK Ltd – Britain’s civil helicopter hub – and its predecessors have been present and highly active in the United Kingdom for over 30 years, dominating the civil rotary-wing sector. Its contribution to the aerospace sector of the national economy includes the development of police aviation with a 75 percent market share, a 70 percent share of the air ambulance sector, and well over 50 percent of the offshore oil and gas market.

Eurocopter UK Ltd is headquartered in Oxford, with additional bases in Dublin (Ireland), Belfast (Northern Ireland), Hawarden (Wales) and Aberdeen (Scotland) and provides the full range of products and services for the rotary-wing sector, including prime contractor for the RAF Puma Mk2 program.

Some 450 Eurocopter helicopters form the largest part of the UK's helicopter fleet and the backbone of vital national infrastructure, with approximately 100 helicopters serving the UK Ministry of Defence for transport, training and high end operational missions. To date, Eurocopter UK Ltd has exported high technology helicopter solutions to 23 nations worldwide. The Eurocopter group employs more than 1600 people across the British Isles.

About Eurocopter
Established in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group is a division of EADS, a world leader in aerospace and defense-related services. The Eurocopter Group employs approximately 22,000 people. In 2012, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer with a turnover of 6.3 billion Euros, orders for 469 new helicopters and a 44 percent market share in the civil and parapublic sectors. Eurocopter’s worldwide network of service centers, training facilities, distributors and certified agents supports more than 2,900 customers. There are currently more than 11,780 Eurocopter helicopters in service in 148 countries. Eurocopter offers the most comprehensive civil and military helicopter range in the world and is fully committed to safety as the most important aspect of its business (www.eurocopter.com).


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Eurocopter delivers the first Tiger HAD version to the French DGA

Marignane, France, April 19, 2013 Eurocopter’s first production Tiger helicopter in the HAD attack configuration was delivered to France’s DGA armament procurement agency today for operation by French Army Aviation units, providing a highly capable combat weapon system that is tailored to the world’s evolving battlefield conditions.

Eurocopter’s first production Tiger helicopter in the HAD attack configuration was delivered to France’s DGA armament procurement agency today for operation by French Army Aviation units, providing a highly capable combat weapon system that is tailored to the world’s evolving battlefield conditions.

This milestone followed DGA qualification of the Tiger HAD version on April 10, and marked the delivery startup for Eurocopter’s latest variant of a rotorcraft product line which has already been combat proven during military operations in Afghanistan, Libya and today in Mali.

“With the Tiger HAD, Eurocopter further expands the operational capabilities of a combat helicopter family which has demonstrated its mission effectiveness and performance in highly challenging military deployments,” said Dominique Maudet, the Eurocopter group’s Executive Officer for France, and Vice President of Global Business and Services.
 

© Eurocopter Thierry Rostang

To date, France has ordered 40 Tiger combat helicopters in HAD configuration for its French Army Aviation units. Another 24 helicopters has been ordered by the Spanish government to equip the Spanish Army (which includes six Tiger HAP support and escort versions retrofitted for fire support and attack missions).

Feature improvements of the Tiger HAD variant include two enhanced MTR390 turboshaft engines that provide 14 percent more power, improved ballistic protection, a new optronic sighting system, the capability to target and launch Hellfire air-to-surface missiles, an evolved electronic warfare suite, and an IFF (identification, friend or foe) interrogation system.

97 multi-role Tiger family currently are in service in four countries: France, Germany, Spain and Australia; which have ordered a total of 206 helicopters.

About Eurocopter
Established in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group is a division of EADS, a world leader in aerospace and defense-related services. The Eurocopter Group employs approximately 22,000 people. In 2012, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer with a turnover of 6.3 billion Euros, orders for 469 new helicopters and a 44 percent market share in the civil and parapublic sectors. Eurocopter’s worldwide network of service centers, training facilities, distributors and certified agents supports more than 2,900 customers. There are currently more than 11,780 Eurocopter helicopters in service in 148 countries. Eurocopter offers the most comprehensive civil and military helicopter range in the world and is fully committed to safety as the most important aspect of its business (www.eurocopter.com).


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The Eurocopter Corporate Foundation takes flight: Eurocopter’s new philanthropic organization will support humanitarian causes and help the needy

Marignane, France, April 18, 2013 Eurocopter last week held the first board meeting of its new Corporate Foundation, which unites the company’s humanitarian and philanthropic activities worldwide, underscoring the company’s increased commitment to social responsibility.

Eurocopter last week held the first board meeting of its new Corporate Foundation, which unites the company’s humanitarian and philanthropic activities worldwide, underscoring the company’s increased commitment to social responsibility.

The Eurocopter Corporate Foundation is an independent, apolitical and non-profit legal entity funded by Eurocopter, Eurocopter Deutschland and Eurocopter Group subsidiaries.

The Foundation is dedicated to the following areas of service: emergency humanitarian aid; support for developing countries; assistance for the disadvantaged including the ill, handicapped, and those living in extremely difficult conditions; and youth development through the transfer of aeronautical know-how to underprivileged youth.

The Foundation’s outreach will extend to partnerships with selected non-governmental organizations and associations that have both a national and international scope. Eurocopter Group employees may participate in projects supported by the Foundation either by volunteering their time or offering a financial contribution.

© Eurocopter

“Social responsibility and providing help to those in need is a part of Eurocopter’s DNA. Many of our helicopters perform vital missions every day, and we have been involved for many years in a wide range of humanitarian initiatives,” explained Eurocopter President & CEO Lutz Bertling. “The Eurocopter Corporate Foundation provides an excellent framework to unify – and expand – these activities, further underscoring our commitment to being a responsible corporation that contributes to the global community. I sincerely hope the creation of the Eurocopter Corporate Foundation will give our employees one more reason to be a proud member of the Eurocopter team.”

Mr. Bertling chairs the Foundation’s board of directors, which is composed of Eurocopter representatives and three external experts appointed for their skills and perspective in the areas of action of the foundation.

These experts were named during the board meeting:
· Jean-Claude Deslandes, MD: an anesthesiologist specialized in emergency medicine, founder of Montpellier’s emergency ambulance service (SAMU);
· Jean-Paul de Gaudemar: education adviser to the Prime Minister of France and former chancellor of Aix-Marseille Academy;
· Egon Ramms: a former German Army general and commander of NATO’s Joint Force Command focused on the International Security Assistance Force mission (ISAF).

More information on the Eurocopter Corporate Foundation is available on its website:
www.fondationeurocopter.com

About Eurocopter
Established in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group is a division of EADS, a world leader in aerospace and defense-related services. The Eurocopter Group employs approximately 22,000 people. In 2012, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer with a turnover of 6.3 billion Euros, orders for 469 new helicopters and a 44 percent market share in the civil and parapublic sectors. Eurocopter’s worldwide network of service centers, training facilities, distributors and certified agents supports more than 2,900 customers. There are currently more than 11,780 Eurocopter helicopters in service in 148 countries. (www.eurocopter.com).


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Website: www.eurocopter.com
www.fondationeurocopter.com

Eurocopter expands its Chinese helicopter industry support by donating an Ecureuil light helicopter to the Civil Aviation Flight University of China for training

Shanghai, China, April 18, 2013 Future generations of Chinese aviation technicians will benefit from hands-on training experience with an Ecureuil (AS350 family of helicopters) donated by Eurocopter China to the Civil Aviation Flight University of China (CAFUC).

Future generations of Chinese aviation technicians will benefit from hands-on training experience with an Ecureuil (AS350 family of helicopters) donated by Eurocopter China to the Civil Aviation Flight University of China (CAFUC).

This rotorcraft is to be located at the CAFUC campus in Guanghan, Sichuan Province as part of the Eurocopter-supported training courses for students who seek qualification as helicopter technicians in pursuing aviation industry careers.

“Our well-established relationship with China has always included strong contributions to the country in developing a viable, capable and safe helicopter industry – which includes offering the best training possible to the technicians who will keep its aircraft flying,” explained Bruno Boulnois, CEO of the Eurocopter China subsidiary.
 

© Eurocopter China

The donated Ecureuil provides a full-scale training tool, where students get to receive both ab-initio and type-rating practical training. It offers trainees with the rare opportunity to not only be trained on structural maintenance and repairs, but also assembly of a real helicopter complete with rotor blades, main gearbox and other dynamic components.

This initiative also enables students to work on an aircraft representative of the best-selling Ecureuil family that is used globally in operations ranging from passenger transportation, utility work and flight training to fire fighting and parapublic missions. It is also the most popular lightweight turbine helicopter product line in China, with about 36 in operation today.

Eurocopter’s donation continues the company’s close relationship with the CAFUC, which has resulted in their long-term strategy to create a pool of qualified helicopter technicians capable of filling jobs in China’s expanding general aviation sector.

The cooperation was initiated in 2011, and aims to establish the capacity for training 120 Chinese helicopter technicians annually by 2015. This includes a “train the trainer” scheme – with Eurocopter educating CAFUC instructors in both China and at the company’s training academy in Germany, allowing the university’s personnel to be certified at the highest international standards. These instructors have since completed their training and are now qualified to provide ab-initio training for CAFUC student technicians at Guanghan.

About Eurocopter
Established in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group is a division of EADS, a world leader in aerospace and defense-related services. The Eurocopter Group employs approximately 22,000 people. In 2012, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer with a turnover of 6.3 billion Euros, orders for 469 new helicopters and a 44 percent market share in the civil and parapublic sectors. Eurocopter’s worldwide network of service centers, training facilities, distributors and certified agents supports more than 2,900 customers. There are currently more than 11,780 Eurocopter helicopters in service in 148 countries. Eurocopter offers the most comprehensive civil and military helicopter range in the world and is fully committed to safety as the most important aspect of its business (www.eurocopter.com).


For more information, please contact: