A contract has been signed by Pakistan for an unidentified number of search and rescue helicopters with Italy-based aerospace giant, Leonardo-Finmeccanica.
The contract for the AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters was signed in Islamabad in the presence of Italy’s Ambassador to Pakistan Stefano Pontecorvo, a statement released by the aerospace company said. It added that the contract is part of a fleet renewal programme spread over several batches and includes a logistic support and training packages.
Deliveries of the AW139 helicopters, which will be used for search and rescue duties, are expected to begin in 2017.
Pakistan already operates 11 AW139 helicopters, five of which are used by the government for civil protection and transport tasks.
The AW139 is a 15-seat medium-sized twin-engine helicopter used by some 38 countries in a variety of roles such as law enforcement, search, and rescue, emergency medical services, disaster relief, maritime patrol, and firefighting. The aircraft has a service ceiling of around 20,000 feet which allows it to be used for high-altitude rescues.
Last June, the Pakistan Army had to rescue a Japanese mountaineer who was injured in an avalanche while trying to summit the Broad Peak. Later that year, in July, the army had to airlift an American mountaineer from the K-2 base camp after he suffered altitude sickness.
