Airbus is offering its H175 super-medium twin helicopter in the competition to replace the New York City Police Department’s (NYPD) pair of Bell 412s currently used for tactical and search and rescue missions. NYPD’s request for proposal (RFP) was released earlier this month and a decision is expected later this year.
“Not only do they [NYPD] need a helicopter that will be a responsible neighbor in the skies with a low sound footprint, they need versatility, reliability, performance, and the most modern technologies integrating key safety features right into the helicopter— they’d get all of this, and more, in the H175,” said Treg Manning, v-p of sales and marketing at Airbus Helicopters.
Airbus noted that the H175 is Stage 3 noise level compliant as it is equipped with a variable rotor speed control system. This works to adjust the helicopter’s RPMs to reduce the sound levels when it is flying over densely populated areas like New York City, where helicopter noise continues to be a hot button political issue.
Airbus claims a 65 percent market share in the U.S. and a greater than 50 percent share of the U.S. law enforcement market. The helicopters are supported by a U.S.-based team of more than 725 employees in local production and completion facilities for the H125 single and UH-72 Lakota light twin aircraft in Columbus, Mississippi; and training, aftermarket support, and technical assistance from the company’s campus in Grand Prairie, Texas.