February 26 (SeeNews) - Airbus plans to deliver the first two of a total of nine helicopters to the Serbian police and air force until the end of the year, the company's vice president for Southeastern Europe and Israel, Cesar Sanchez Lopez, has said.
The company signed an agreement with the Serbian government in December 2016 to deliver nine H145M helicopters to Serbia, six of them to the air force and three to police, Lopez said in a video file posted on the YouTube channel of private TV station N1 on Saturday.
"We hope that this figure will increase in the future. The first helicopter for the Army will arrive in November and the other, for police, in December," Lopez said.
Airbus can support Serbia in setting up a multipurpose helicopter fleet that can be used for various missions, Lopez noted.
"For example, emergency medical helicopters are a very specialised service. With one of these helicopters, it is possible to save a thousand lives annually."
The Serbian government contract with Airbus Helicopters includes the transfer of technology, spare parts, tools and documentation for their maintenance and repair, the government said earlier.
Under the terms of the deal, Airbus Helicopters will certify Serbia's Moma Stanojlovic aeronautical plant as a centre for the maintenance of Gazelle helicopters and will include it in its overhaul network. Airbus will also support Serbian manufacturing plants and research and development institutions to obtain relevant qualifications and certificates, the government said back in December 2016.