The French government is helping to strengthen Mongolia's civil defence capabilities through a concessional loan granted by the Treasury Department. The country's first helicopter SAR centre will be deployed by French helicopter operations, maintenance and training specialist Heli-Union close to Ulaanbaatar's international airport.

The programme includes provision of a fleet of four helicopters, comprising three Airbus EC145s and one Guimbal Cabri, as well as the construction of a maintenance centre and training facility. Heli-Union is managing the overall project and has signed a contract with Thales to provide training for EC145 pilots.

French civil security pilots have trained on the same type of Thales simulation systems since 2006. Heli-Union's instructors will therefore benefit from Thales's specialised expertise in training systems for civil defence missions. The project will build on the long-standing relationship between Thales and Heli-Union to bring Mongolia access to France's helicopter know-how.

The project also strengthens Thales's local presence in north Asia, where the group has won several significant contracts, including the provision of air traffic management solutions for the Civil Aviation Authority of Mongolia.

“Heli-Union and Thales are combining their expertise for this ground-breaking project in support of civil defence in Mongolia. We are proud of the trust placed in us for pilot instruction and training,” comments Peter Hitchcock, VP of training and simulation at Thales.