Monday
January 23, 2006
Bell 412 LUH Global Rescue
Bell Helicopter's Submission for Army's Light Utility Helicopter Credited
with Saving Tens of Thousands of Lives
Fort Worth, TX, USA ( Bell Helicopters Press Release ) -
2005 saw a number of catastrophic
natural disasters that occurred on a global scale. From devastating
earthquakes to category five hurricanes, Bell Helicopter's 700+ strong,
worldwide fleet of 412 helicopters was there to answer the call for help all
over the world resulting in tens of thousands of saved lives. Bell
Helicopter, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, recently submitted their
proven 412 helicopter to fulfill the US Army's requirement for a new Light
Utility Helicopter, or LUH.
"In every corner of the Earth, day after day, the Bell 412 is proving its
reliability and maintainability, operating in some of the most austere
conditions imaginable," said Mike Redenbaugh, Chief Executive Officer of
Bell Helicopter. "The Bell 412 and the teams who so professionally operate
and maintain them are literally saving lives all over the world."
The Bell 412s like the ones used during the Asian Tsunami, the earthquake in
Pakistan, Hurricane Katrina as well as many domestic law-enforcement and
first responder organizations, have logged more than 3.1 million flight
hours.
On October 8, 2005, Pakistan experienced a massive earthquake registering a
magnitude of 7.6 and killing more than 80,000 people. Within hours of the
quake, the Pakistani Army's helicopter fleet, including Bell 412s, flew into
action to respond to the disaster. Bell Pakistani Army 412s were used to
reach remote mountain locations bringing food and supplies and returning
with injured people.
"We received letters and testimonials from Pakistani Army Aviators telling
us how much they appreciated the performance of their Bell 412s, especially
during the ongoing earthquake relief operations in Northern Pakistan,"
Redenbaugh said.
In the 45 days following the earthquake, the 16 Pakistani Army 412s flew
4,580 missions, an average of 102 missions per day. They logged 2,743 hours
and were credited with rescuing 54,960 people. The Pakistani Army 412s were
supported by the nine-member Bell Team located in Pakistan.
Disaster response and MEDEVAC are just two of the many missions the Army's
new LUH will perform.
"We offered the 412 to be the Army's next LUH because it is performing the
LUH mission today in more than 30 countries all over the world with a
mission availability rate of more than 95%," Redenbaugh said. "Our soldiers
deserve to have the best equipment with the best training and logistic
support network available on the market today. The Bell 412, coupled with
Bell's award-winning customer support and logistics networks, offer a
proven, ready and able, low-risk solution for the Army's next LUH."
"The tremendous performance of the Bell 412 in response to the Pakistani
earthquake is just one more example of the proven performance and
versatility of the Bell LUH," said Redenbaugh.
"We are extremely proud of the way these Bell 412s performed here in
Pakistan following this devastating earthquake," said Willy Abril, Pakistani
Program Manager for Bell Helicopter. "I saw them in action, I saw them
bringing injured people to safety. I saw them operating in some of the most
extreme terrain and conditions imaginable. It was a truly amazing effort by
the Pakistani Army as well as our Bell Support Team and I was proud to be
part of it."
Bell Helicopter is a leading producer of commercial and military helicopters
and the pioneer of the revolutionary tilt rotor aircraft. Globally
recognized for customer service, innovation and superior quality, Bell's
global workforce serves customers flying Bell aircraft in over 120
countries.
Textron Inc. is a $10 billion multi-industry company with 44,000 employees
in 40 countries. The company leverages its global network of aircraft,
industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative
solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful
brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming,
E-Z-GO and Greenlee, among others.
database: Bell 412
news: 412 LUH ready and able
H-1 Huey
Bell timeline
|
