NASA orders three H135s
Following our Scramble Facebook News item of 30 January 2020 *) about the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) order of three H135s with Airbus Helicopters, NASA now announced it has signed a USD 15 million additional contract with Airbus Helicopters.
The additional contract covers the entire spectrum of support needs for NASAs fleet of the trio (so operational availability, spare parts, scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and the manufacturer will be responsible for the helicopter flight operations by stationing two pilots, two mechanics and one programme manager at location). The duration of the contract is initially two years with the option to extend up to ten years.
The first two deliveries are expected late September 2020, while the third one is expected early 2021. The H135s will be based at Cape Canaveral AFS Skid Strip Cocoa Beach (FL), also known as Kennedy Space Center.
NASA will operate their new fleet of H135s, purchased as part of a UH-1H fleet renewal initiative, at Cape Canaveral for a variety of missions including security around rocket launches, emergency medical services, and qualified personnel transport.
*) SFN 30 January 2020, Airbus Helicopters announced it received an order from NASA for three Airbus H135s
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