Meksiko naručio 6 helikoptera EC725 Cougar

[Dreadnought]

Meksičko ministarstvo odbrane je naručilo od Shephard grupe 6 EC725 Cougar helikoptera. Francuska trenutno nudi 14 specijalizovanih verzija ovog helikoptera, vrlo unapređene verzije popularnih Super Puma helikoptera.

Na ovaj način je Meksko postao drugi po redu uvoznik, nakon Brazilske narudžbine od 50 ovih helikoptera vredne 1.1 milijarde $. Meksička verzija će biti naoružana sa mitraljezima 12,7 mm i nosačima za rakete 70 mm. Vrednost posla je oko 212 miliona $ a prva isporuka se očekuje do kraja 2011 godine. Očekuje se da će biti u upotrebi do 2037 godine....

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Mexico Orders 6 EC725 Helicopters

Shephard Group reports that Mexico has become the EC725 Cougar’s 2nd export customer, thanks to a Mexican Ministry of Defense order for 6 helicopters. France currently operates 14 specialized variants of the EC725, a heavily modernized version of the popular Super Puma military helicopter. Brazil became the EC725’s first export customer with a $1.1 billion order for 50 helicopters to equip its Army, Air Force, and Navy.

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EC725 Cougar

The medium-lift helicopters will reportedly be used for transport and civil security missions, but these are military helicopters. A recent report adds that they will replace existing Russian machines…

Mexico has some experience with this type already. The civilian EC225 version has a separate order base, and currently serves as a Mexican Presidential helicopter. Even so, DID Latin American correspondent Inigo Guevara reports that Eurocopter’s key to victory lay elsewhere:

“According to a Mexican air force source, the FAM operates 33 medium helicopters, comproising 6 S-70A-24 (UH-60L) Blackhawks, 8 Mi-8T and 19 Mi-8MTV-1 (Mi-17s). 10 of the Mi-17’s will reach the end of their service lives by 2012 [and 2 are already semi-retired]. The remaining Mi-17’s and Blackhawks will continue in service for another 10 years, at which point they will also be replaced. The FAM considered acquiring either more UH-60L’s or Mi-17’s but the [distinguishing industrial] offset offered by Eurocopter and the type of helicopter… made the EC725 the best in its class.

The EC725’s will be armed with a 12.7 mm gun pod and a 70mm rocket pod. The deal has been announced at 168 million euros (around 212 million USD) with the first deliveries expected from late 2011. They are expected to remain in service until 2037.”

Those force dynamics could make this order a bigger win for EADS Eurocopter over the long term. The firm was able to offer those key industrial offsets thanks to its EC725 delivery partner Eurocopter de Mexico SA (EMSA), which was set up in 1982 to cover the Mexican, Central American, and Caribbean markets, along with Columbia, Venezuela and Ecuador. See also Eurocopter release.

Mexico is currently facing a significant “open source” insurgency that has claimed between 6,000 – 8,000 lives over the past 2 years, and is busy beefing up its military capabilities on several fronts in order to cope. UAVs and aerostats, integrated urban surveillance systems, and quick-response transport all provide useful counterinsurgency capabilities – if they can be complemented by good on-the-ground intelligence and solid governance.

Izvor: DID