Airbus Helicopters delivered one EC225 LP Super Puma helicopter to the Japan Coast Guard (JCG), to act as a replacement for an aircraft destroyed during the 2011 earthquake, the company said on Monday.
This was the last of three Super Pumas ordered by the JCG in July 2011. The previous two were delivered in 2014.
The new EC 225s contain advanced search and rescue systems and will be used for security enforcement, territorial sea guard duties, and anti-disaster operations, the company said.
The JCG Super Puma fleet now includes five EC225s and three AS332 L1s.
“We are very honored that our helicopters are operated by JCG, one of the world’s leading maritime security organizations, and contributing to life-saving and enforcement missions. This handover is especially significant, as it is the 3,000th rotorcraft to be delivered from our hangar since we commenced operations in 1971, marking a new milestone in the history of Airbus Helicopters in Japan,” Stephane Ginoux, managing director of Airbus Helicopters Japan, said in a statement.
Twenty-three Super Puma helicopters are operating in Japan, in use by civil and military personnel for search and rescue, offshore operations, and passenger transport.