Kazakhstan orders eight EC145s
The Kazakhstan government has ordered eight Eurocopter EC145 helicopters as part of a framework agreement covering 45 of the aircraft.
The Kazakhstan government has ordered eight Eurocopter EC145 helicopters as part of a framework agreement covering 45 of the aircraft. The eight bookings include six EC145s configured for medevac purposes and two to be operated by the Ministry of Defence for search and rescue missions. The helicopters will all be assembled in-country by Eurocopter Kazakhstan Engineering, and follow the government’s acquisition of six similarly-configured EC145s in 2011. The orders were announced at the KADEX-2012 expo in Astana, where a ceremony was also held for the delivery of a pair of Ka-32A11BC rescue helicopters to Kazakhstan’s Emergency Situations Ministry (EMERCOM). The delivery of the modified coaxial rescue helicopters by Russian Helicopters fulfilled a contract signed in August of last year.
The specially-modified helicopters have been equipped with medical modules and horizontal water cannons, and are intended for fire fighting, emergency medical and rescue purposes. The deal followed a number of instances of co-operation between Kazakhstan and Russia, most notably their joint efforts to subdue wildfires in the Russian Federation in 2010 using helicopters.