Ministry of Emergencies of Ukraine signs for two Eurocopter EC145s Kiev, October, 16 2008 - The Ministry of Emergencies of Ukraine and Eurocopter signed a contract for the acquisition of two Eurocopter helicopters of the type EC145. Based in the Kiev region, they will be used for a wide range of missions that cover rescue, emergency medical evacuation and fire fighting. The aircrafts will be delivered in 2009. The Ukrainian "Ministry of Emergencies and Affairs of Population Protection from the Consequences of Chernobyl Catastrophe" will be able to react quickly and efficiently to emergency situations that require the use of helicopters. As the Ministry is in charge of a broad spectrum of tasks including rescue, emergency medical evacuation, fire fighting, road or mine accidents, the modern multi-mission helicopters fit perfectly to the comprehensive demands. Both helicopters will be home based at the Special Aviation Squadron of the Operational Rescue Service of Public Safety of the Ministry of Emergencies in Nizhyn (Chernihivska Oblast). Ukraine will now be able to offer to its citizens the highest standard of helicopter emergency medical and rescue services. "Eurocopter is welcoming this first cooperation with the Ukrainian State. For the first time, a Ministry in Ukraine organized a tender open to Western helicopter manufacturers, and Eurocopter is particularly proud that the Ministry of Emergencies selected the EC145 for its unique technical capabilities and ability to fulfill demanding operational requirements", says Lutz Bertling, President and CEO Eurocopter. The EC145 is a proven helicopter that is used by renowned customers such as the French Civil Security, the German Police and the City of Moscow. The EC145 also convinced the U.S. Army and National Guard. They placed an order for a total requirement of 322 aircrafts in 2006 (called UH-72A Lakota) with a possible extension to 352. They have already received 40 since then. This helicopter is a new generation of light twin-engine helicopters. It responds perfectly to new mission requirements for flexibility and versatility in the light-medium segment and at the same time optimizes investments and operational costs. The EC145 is able to carry one or two pilots and up to nine passengers. With a fast cruise speed of 135 kts and an endurance of up to 3.5 hours, the EC145 is the right helicopter for rescue, emergency medical situations, police and homeland security missions. Eurocopter's objective is to support the development of the Ukrainian fleet of helicopters for Public Safety missions, to fulfill growing public needs in the Health and Homeland Security sectors. The development of helicopter capabilities for Public Safety missions is also a consequence of an increasing cooperation with the European Union authorities and organisations, creating the need for state-of-the-art rescue, surveillance and medical capabilities. The organisation of the Euro 2012 football championship in Ukraine shall also be accompanied by the creation of new helicopters capabilities for the security and safety of the event. For more go to: Rotorhub.com