Eurocopter wins Brazilian Armed Forces contract

Eurocopter's Helibras subsidiary to provide spare parts and services for the entire Brazilian Armed Forces' EC725 helicopter fleet.

Eurocopter has announced that its Helibras subsidiary has been awarded a five year contract to supply and manage all spare parts, stocks and related technical support for the Brazilian armed forces’ fleet of 50 EC725 helicopters. The contract will also include the assembly of the EC725s at Helibras’ new manufacturing facility in Itajubá.

The Helibras subsidiary of Eurocopter will supply and manage all spare parts, stocks and related technical support for the Brazilian armed forces' fleet of 50 EC725 helicopters, offering significant savings and operational synergies for the country's three military services operating the twin-engine rotary-wing aircraft.

This responsibility is being assigned to Helibras under terms of a five-year contract, which marks the first such agreement involving all three branches of Brazil’s military services. The accord is valued at approximately 150 million Brazilian Reais ( 62 million euros), and covers the 50 EC725s being assembled at Helibras’ new manufacturing facility in Itajubá for the Brazilian armed forces.

“The establishment of strategic stocks specifically for the Brazilian military will lead to important savings in the purchase of spare parts,” said Helibras CEO Eduardo Marson Ferreira. “No longer will it be necessary for each branch of the armed forces to have its own supply structure, since Helibras will take care of everything."

Included in Helibras’ activity will be helicopter inspection, overhaul and repair, as well as the deployment of teams to provide on-site services at bases where EC725s are located.
The first three EC725s delivered to the Brazilian armed forces in December 2010 are now being operated by the country’s army, navy and air force.

The EC725 is Eurocopter’s latest version of its Super Puma/Cougar helicopter family. As a highly capable rotary-wing aircraft in the 11-metric ton category, the EC725 is designed for multiple missions, including combat SAR (search and rescue), long-range tactical transport, aeromedical transport, logistic support and naval missions.

About Eurocopter

Established in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group is a division of EADS, a world leader in aerospace, defense and related services. The Eurocopter Group employs approximately 17,500 people. In 2010, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world’s number one helicopter manufacturer in the civil and parapublic market with a turnover of 4.8 billion Euros,orders for 346 new helicopters and a 49 percent market share in the civil and parapublic sectors.
Overall, the Group’s helicopters account for 33 percent of the total worldwide civil and parapublic fleet. Eurocopter’s strong worldwide presence is ensured by its 30 subsidiaries and participations on five continents, along with a dense network of distributors, certified agents and maintenance centers. There are currently 11,200 Eurocopter helicopters in service and some 2,900customers in 147 countries. Eurocopter offers the largest civil and military helicopter range in the world.


Source: Marignane, France, By Stéphane Chery, 05 January 2012 - Eurocopter news article (www.eurocopter.com)

Photo: The Brazilian Armed Forces Eurocopter/Helibras EC725 helicopter (Photo by © Copyright Eurocopter, Anthony Pecchi)

Photo Story: Helibras will focus on offering significant savings and operational synergies for Brazil’s three military services operating the twin-engine rotary-wing aircraft.

According to the company, its activity on the contract will include helicopter inspection, overhaul and repair, as well as the deployment of teams to provide on-site services at bases where EC725s are located.

The first three EC725s delivered to the Brazilian armed forces in December 2010 are now being operated by the country’s army, navy and air force. The EC725 is Eurocopter’s latest version of its Super Puma/Cougar helicopter family. As a highly capable rotary-wing aircraft in the 11-metric ton category, the EC725 is designed for multiple missions, including combat SAR (search and rescue), long-range tactical transport, aeromedical transport, logistic support and naval missions.

(By the Shephard News Team, 05 January 2012- Shephard Group / Rotorhub New (www.shephardmedia.com))

(5.01.2012)