Airbus Helicopters has signed a contract with His Excellency, Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Minister of Interior of Bahrain, for the purchase of nine H145 helicopters to be operated by the Police Aviation Command for law enforcement missions and emergency medical services in the kingdom.

“We are very proud that the Ministry of Interior of Bahrain has chosen to become a new member of the H145 worldwide community,” says Olivier Michalon, EVP for global business of Airbus Helicopters. “We are sure that the H145 will quickly become a valuable new asset for the Bahraini police. As a truly multi-role helicopter, the H145’s versatility makes it a key asset for public safety missions around the world and in the region. More than 60 H145s are already in service in the Middle East and demand for this type of helicopter continues to grow for a vast array of missions: emergency medical services, operations in the energy sector, law enforcement and utility missions.”

The new version of Airbus’ best-selling H145 light twin-engine helicopter adds a new, innovative five-bladed rotor to the multi-mission aircraft, increasing the useful load of the helicopter by 150kg. The simplicity of the new bearingless main rotor design also eases maintenance operations, further improving the benchmark serviceability and reliability of the H145, while improving ride comfort for both passengers and crew.