Eurocopter EC225 is most adapted Contender for SAR-H Programme in the United Kingdom

Like no other helicopter in its class, the EC225 and its military variant, the EC725, fuses commercial standards with military capabilities.

The EC725/225 is in operation with numerous SAR organizations around the world as well as with the French Air Force for the Combat-SAR role.

The balanced design between unrivalled mission effectiveness derived from its military design and its proven low life cycle cost is rendering the EC725/225 as the most adapted contender for the UK SAR-H programme. The EC225 has been proposed for this requirement by AirKnight, the teaming of Lockheed Martin UK, VT Group and British International Helicopters.

The EC725/225 is the latest member of the Super Puma family. Super Puma helicopters are in operation in more than 20 countries for SAR missions from extremely low temperatures in Norway to extremely high temperatures in Saudi Arabia and in the harshest maritime environments. This unrivalled experience of its predecessors provides the EC225 with an unmatched warranty of success in life saving missions.

The EC225 is the civil certified version of the EC725. The EC725 helicopter programme was initially launched in response to a French Air Force requirement for a helicopter specifically designed for Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) missions.

Their main requirements were:

• Long range and high payload
• All weather capability and autonomous navigation system
• High level of systems redundancy and high survivability to warrant mission success
• State of the art Man-Machine Interface to facilitate crew work and to improve situation awareness and mission effectiveness in the harshest environments

With a take-off weight of 24,251 lbs (11,000 kg), the EC725/225 carries an impressive fuel load of 5,000 lbs, guaranteeing a flight time of 5 hours. In addition to new Makila 2A engines with a stronger main gearbox and a new five-bladed main rotor, the EC725/225 features a state of the art glass cockpit featuring six large and redundant multifunction displays.

Another special feature of the EC725/225 is its auto-pilot (AFCS) with unique capabilities. The EC725 AFCS is the first to be specifically designed for helicopter flight characteristics rather than being derived from fixed-wing aircraft auto-pilots.

The precision and stability provided are already setting new standards of mission capacity and safety during French Air Force Personnel Recovery and C-SAR missions. As an example, the EC725 will permit automatic hoisting on land or at sea with unrivalled precision in conditions impossible for other aircraft.

The French Armed Forces operate a total of 14 - with five more on order - of the highly capable medium-class EC725 helicopters, with six serving with the Air Force and eight with the Special Operations Detachment (DAOS) of the French Army Air Corps (ALAT).

The French Air Force is deploying some of its EC725s in Combat Search and Rescue (C-SAR) missions in hostile environments like Afghanistan to support the coalition forces, where it has proven to be an invaluable asset.

In May 2006, the EC725 officially entered operational service in the EH 1/67 Pyrenees Squadron. The new helicopters were very soon to see active service: first of all in Lebanon in Operation Baliste to evacuate people in the summer of 2006, and later in Afghanistan. Since November 2006, EC725s have been regularly based in Kabul, where they support the coalition forces operating around the Afghan capital. On round-the-clock alert, the helicopters fly medical evacuation missions and transport troops - all with excellent availability.

In parallel, the EC225 is becoming the new reference for commercial transport and civil SAR missions. Its smooth entry into service, its high availability (> 98%) and its acknowledged cost effectiveness in oil and gas transport are leading to increasing success in this market. Major oil and gas operators have ordered the EC225. Many of them are performing passenger transport missions and SAR services in the harsh environment of the North Sea.

Moreover, the EC225 qualifies for 24-hours-a-day SAR missions in the most demanding environments with unmatched mission and cost effectiveness. EC225s are in service worldwide: It has been selected by Japan, China, South Korea, Norway and a major US oil and gas operator for SAR and Coast Guards missions.