Bell Helicopter Textron [TXT] said it recently hosted a high ranking delegation from the Chilean Air Force (FACH) for a contract signing ceremony in which Gen. Julio Escobar committed the FACH to purchase 12 Bell 412 4 axis helicopters.
Gen. Escobar, head of the FACH, said, “We evaluated several helicopters and feel the 412 will give us the capability to significantly increase our mission coverage. As you know, Chile’s unique shape presents us with challenges and the 412 has the range to cover great lengths of territory and also performs equally well at sea level or high in the Andes.”
Bob Fitzpatrick, Bell senior vice president for Marketing and Sales, said: “We consider Chile to be one of our prime markets and this sale to the FACH reaffirms our working relationship. With its outstanding reliability and performance parameters, the 412 helicopter is ideally suited to perform the types of missions laid out by the FACH.”
The FACH currently has a fleet of 20 Bell helicopters and these new 412 are being acquired to perform search and rescue operations and general troop transport duties, said in a Nov. 20 statement just released.
The 412 remains a popular model in a wide range of market segments, the company said. With its outstanding range and payload, the 412 has proven to be highly sought after for missions related to law enforcement, oil shore, EMS and corporate transport.