Airbus Helicopters Inc., the North American sales leader in law enforcement helicopters for more than a decade, will exhibit a California Highway Patrol H125 AStar at the 2016 International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) conference in San Diego, California, on Oct. 16 to 18.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) operates 11 H125/AS350-series AStar aircraft to conduct a wide variety of law enforcement missions, including patrol, search-and-rescue (SAR) and special operations. Airbus Helicopters Inc. produces the H125 at its facility in Columbus, Mississippi.
The CHP AStars have an advanced avionics and mission equipment suite that enhances the law enforcement operational capabilities of the aircraft. Installed equipment includes a thermal imager, searchlight, moving map system and a 500-pound rescue hoist. Hangar One Avionics in Carlsbad, California integrates the law enforcement completion packages for the CHP helicopters.
“CHP has been operating Airbus Helicopters products for over 30 years, starting with an AS350B model in 1984,” said Ed Van Winkle, director of market segment sales for Airbus Helicopters Inc. “The CHP’s continued dedication to Airbus Helicopters products demonstrate the high level of trust that CHP has in the AStar to perform its wide range of missions.”
In addition to the California Highway Patrol, numerous agencies across North America deploy the H125 to conduct law enforcement missions. Recently the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department in California ordered two new H125s as part of a fleet replacement plan to upgrade their current fleet of six AStars. The new helicopters will be used to conduct law enforcement and SAR missions.
Airbus Helicopters Inc. will perform the law enforcement completions at its Grand Prairie, Texas headquarters for delivery in mid-2017.
Airbus Helicopters’ H125/AS350-series helicopters are the most widely purchased by U.S. law enforcement agencies. More than 240 are in use nationwide with 44 different law enforcement agencies, 75 of them delivered in the last five years.
Airbus Helicopters Inc. leads the U.S. market in sales of new helicopters to federal, state and local law enforcement agencies with a 54 percent market share over the last decade. The spacious cabin and modern safety features of the H125, including energy-attenuating seats, a crash-resistant fuel system, and a vehicle and engine multifunction display, make the AStar an industry leader.
The cost-effective H125 offers high cruise speed and range, and the ability to conduct a wide range of missions.
