The newly ordered three Leonardo AW139 helicopters are signed to meet the requirements of various upcoming opportunities in the country and will be handed over in 2024.
Leonardo has secured an order for a total of six AW139 helicopters from Mitsui Bussan Aerospace (MBA), the authorized distributor for the AW139, AW169 and AW189 helicopter models in Japan. The newly signed order is signed to meet the requirements of various upcoming opportunities in the country. These latest orders confirm the continuous success of the AW139 in Japan with nearly 70 units currently in operation.
The AW139 fleet in Japan is growing rapidly, with new deliveries following previous and planned orders for end users in the country. Two aircraft have been ordered for the Japan Coast Guard, comprising 21 AW139s ordered by this operator, and two for the Japan National Police Agency this year. Additionally, three AW139s will be handed over in 2024 to Ishikawa Prefecture Fire Fighting & Disaster Relief, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure & Transport of Hokuriku, and Saitama Prefecture Fire Fighting & Disaster Relief, respectively.
Today, there are over 150 helicopters of various types, including the AW139, in service in Japan. They are used for a wide range of missions such as law enforcement, emergency medical service, search and rescue, fire-fighting, disaster relief, VIP/corporate transport, electronic news gathering, and maritime utility. The AW139 has been extremely successful in Japan with nearly 70 units currently in operation, logging more than 110,000 flight hours while supporting several prefectures and city authorities.
Mitsui Bussan Aerospace is a trading company that specialises in aerospace, defence, and security systems. The company imports and sells helicopters, aircraft, space, defence, and security-related equipment, as well as provides related services. Its products include Leonardo’s helicopters, defence machines, aircraft engines, space business and more. The company was founded in 1982 and is based in Tokyo, Japan.
The AW139 features state-of-the-art avionics with advanced navigation and collision avoidance systems to enhance situational awareness and reduce pilots’ workload, unmatched speed, power margins and overall performance, the widest cabin in its category featuring high modularity for rapid reconfiguration, a unique 60+ min run-dry capable main gear box for enhanced reliability and safety, and up to 1,000 certified kits.
Since its certification in 2004, the AW139 has become the world’s most important helicopter programme and the bestselling type in its category. The global AW139 fleet has exceeded 3.6 million flight hours logged to date. Its success in Japan and around the world is due to its ability to perform all missions with exceptional performance and safety.
The recent orders by Mitsui Bussan Aerospace for six AW139s further strengthen the type’s market leadership in Japan. As the AW139 fleet continues to grow in the country, it is expected to continue to support a wide range of missions and provide exceptional performance and safety to its operators.
