The fire department of the State of Rio de Janeiro has signed a letter of intent for the purchase of four H125 helicopters from Helibras. The aircraft will be operated by the Air Operations Group (GOA) for civil defence missions, rescue and aeromedical transportation.

Helibras VP of business and services Jean-Luc Alfonsi says that the aircraft will be configured to meet the various mission requirements of the Rio de Janeiro Fire Department: “The aircraft will have an aeromedical kit, Bambi bucket, winch and hook, among other equipment that will assist in the missions.”

Worldwide, the AS350/H125 Squirrel family has notched up more than 33 million flight hours with more than 5,100 units currently in operation.