AgustaWestland exhibiting its range of modern high performance helicopters

AgustaWestland is exhibiting its range of modern high performance helicopters at Defexpo India 2012. Helicopters to be showcased include the AW101, 12 of which were ordered by the Indian Air Force in 2010 for government transport. Other helicopters to be featured include the military variant of the AW119, the AW109LUH, coast guard variant of the AW139 and the NH90 naval helicopter.

AgustaWestland is offering the naval variant of the NH90 to the Indian Navy for its new anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare multi-role helicopter (MRH) requirement. The NH90 is the biggest helicopter programme ever launched in Europe, with firm orders now reaching 529 units to equip and modernise 19 services in 14 countries including the Armed Forces of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Greece, Oman, Australia, New Zealand, Spain and Belgium. Of those 529 firm orders over 100 are for the NFH naval variant for the navies of Italy, France, Norway and The Netherlands.

For coast guard applications, AgustaWestland is the world’s leading supplier of helicopters with a complete range from the three-tonne AW109 Power up to the 16-tonne AW101. In the six-tonne class, the AW139 has achieved significant success in Asia with sales to the coast guards of Malaysia, South Korea and Japan.

In 2005, AgustaWestland sold its first AW109 Power helicopter to the Government of Rajasthan and since then sales of its civil product range have taken-off with orders being placed for over 50 aircraft including additional AW109 Powers, the Grand light twin-engine helicopter, the AW119 Ke and the AW139 medium-twin engine helicopter. AgustaWestland is a worldwide leader in the supply of corporate and VIP helicopters and in the last five years has been the market leader in India.

Earlier this month, Indian Rotorcraft Limited, a joint venture between AgustaWestland and Tata Sons, started construction of a new helicopter production facility in Hyderabad which will be completed in mid-2013, marking a new development in the Indian aerospace industry.

AgustaWestland is proud to have been doing business in India for over 40 years with the delivery, in 1971, of an initial batch of Sea King helicopters to the Indian Navy for anti-submarine warfare. Further batches of Sea Kings were delivered in the 1970s and 1980s and many remain in service today in the anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and amphibious support roles. AgustaWestland continues to provide support, training and upgradation services to the Indian Navy for its fleet of Sea King helicopters.