Airbus delivers its final Dauphin helicopter to Spanish customs

Airbus has announced that the final Dauphin helicopter, an AS365 N3, has been delivered to the Spanish Customs Surveillance Service (SVA), for use in combatting drug trafficking.

The delivery expands the SVA’s Dauphin fleet to three aircraft. The helicopters are used to track, chase and intercept high-speed smuggling boats transporting contraband, in the Strait of Gibraltar, the Alboran Sea, and off the coast of Galicia. In 2021, the helicopters participated in the seizure of more than 200 tonnes of illegal drugs in Spanish waters.

The helicopter is designed to maximize speed and airtime to ensure effective pursuit of boats. It is equipped with two Turboméca Arriel 2C turboshaft engines, which enable the helicopter to operate at cruise speeds of 145 knots (269km/h). In addition, long range fuel tanks enable the Dauphin to fly for up to three and a half hours.

The helicopter was manufactured at Airbus’s Marignane site in France, before being customized at the company’s Albacete facility with mission equipment including:

• Electro-optical systems
• Tactical communications systems
• Radar
• Spot lights.

The end of an era for the popular Dauphin helicopter design                                              

The delivery marks the end of production for the Dauphin family of aircraft. The Dauphin, originally developed by French firm Aérospatiale, has sold over 1,100 units since its introduction forty years ago, with an estimated seven million hours flown, by operators in 70 countries. The French Armament General Directorate became Airbus's first law enforcement customer for the purchase of the Dauphin's replacement, the H160, earlier this month.

“The Spanish Customs has been a longstanding partner since 1985 and we are very proud of how, since the first Dauphin was handed over to them in 2002, these helicopters have carried out essential tasks for the population such as the fight against drug trafficking in a hostile environment,” said Fernando Lombo, Managing Director of Airbus Helicopters in Spain. “Thank you to the women and men at SVA who are taking full advantage of the Dauphin’s marine patrol capabilities, flying the outstanding figure of almost 1,000 hours a year with each Dauphin to protect our community.”