AgustaWestland, AgustaWestland is pleased to announce that the Korean Government has signed a contract for two AW139 medium-twin helicopters in maritime patrol configuration for operation by the Korean Coast Guard. The order represents the first AW139 helicopters to be sold into Korea for government applications and both helicopters are scheduled to enter service at the end of 2009.
The Korean Coast Guard AW139s will perform Maritime Patrol, SAR and EMS missions and will be equipped with a Forward Looking Infra-Red (FLIR) camera, search/weather radar, rescue hoist, emergency flotation system and a four-axis autopilot with SAR modes.
Speaking after the contract award, Giacomo Saponaro, Senior Vice President International Business Unit, AgustaWestland said “We are delighted the AW139 has been selected by the Korean Government for its maritime patrol helicopter requirement and proud to be able to add the Korean Coast Guard to our growing list of customers. This deal marks the first sale of the AW139 to a government agency in the Republic of Korea and we look forward to building upon this success.”
The AW139 is a new generation helicopter setting new standards of safety, comfort and performance in the medium twin engine helicopter market. Designed with inherent multi-role capability and flexibility of operation, the AW139 is capable of carrying up to 15 passengers at high speed, in the most spacious cabin and with the best power reserve of any helicopter in its class. The internal dimensions of the AW139’s roomy unobstructed cabin make it an ideal choice for SAR applications. The flat floor, large cabin doors and unobstructed cabin provide easy and quick access for stretchers and survivors.
With a maximum endurance of over 5 hours and a range in excess of 1000 km, the AW139 can perform long range SAR missions. The new technology Honeywell Primus Epic fully integrated avionics package, a 4-axis digital AFCS and large flat panel colour displays in the cockpit, reduce pilot workload and allow the crew to concentrate on the patrol and rescue missions.
The AW139 has become the benchmark medium-twin helicopter and orders for more than 300 helicopters have been placed by nearly 90 commercial and government customers in over 30 countries to carry out a number of roles including search and rescue, emergency medical services, offshore transport, VIP/corporate transport, law enforcement, homeland security and utility transport.
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