Bell is selling six of its model 407GXi single-engine helicopters to Argentina’s Ministry of Defense via a contract with the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC). The 407 is produced at Bell’s plant in Mirabel, Quebec.
The helicopters will be outfitted in utility configuration and operated by the Argentinean Air Force and Army to assist in search and rescue missions. “The Bell 407GXi is a proven platform in high-altitude environments and will be pivotal to Argentina’s military search and rescue operations,” said John Ramos, Bell managing director, Latin America. More than 1,600 Bell 407s have been manufactured to date and the fleet has amassed six million flight hours. The IFR-capable 407GXi features the Garmin G1000H NXi flight deck.
Bell Textron Canada employs 1,400 workers and manufactures the OEM’s commercial models including the 505, 407GXi, 429, and Subaru Bell 412EPX. To date, the company has built more than 5,600 commercial helicopters and delivered more than 1,000 aircraft to Canadian customers. The company recently announced plans to offer military variants of all of its civil models.
The government-owned CCC has facilitated government-to-government sales of Canadian products and services since 1946. This included C$1.37 billion of aerospace exports during its most recent reported fiscal year.