Leonardo has secured orders in Japan for AW169, AW139 and AW189 helicopters in firefighting configuration, the latest additions to the company's current fleet of around 120 helicopters in service in the country.

Leonardo and Mitsui Bussan Aerospace, the Japanese distributor for the AW169 and AW139 types, have signed contracts with the Yamaguchi Prefecture Fire Fighting and Disaster Relief Agency for one AW169 and with the Shizuoka Prefecture and Fukushima Prefecture Fire Fighting & Disaster Relief Agencies for one AW139 each.

The AW139s add to an established fleet of more than 50 units in all market segments and reinforce the presence of this model in the firefighting market. The Yamaguchi Prefecture AW169 is the third AW169 to be sold in Japan and the first for firefighting roles. The contract with the Tokyo Fire Department for the AW189 marks the debut order for the type in Japan. All aircraft are expected to enter service between spring 2019 and spring 2020 replacing older helicopter types.

The new helicopters will feature standard equipment, including a bambi bucket, rescue hoist and searchlight as well as customer specific equipment. The Tokyo Fire Department AW189 features 19 seats, dual hoist and extended range auxiliary fuel tank for long-range missions to remote islands.

The AW139 for the Shizuoka Prefecture Fire Fighting & Disaster Relief Agency will carry out rescue operations in the area of Mount Fuji and will also be equipped with a belly tank and a gyro-stabilized camera system with microwave downlink (Heli-TV).

The AW139 for Fukushima Prefecture is also equipped with snow skis while the Yamaguchi Prefecture Fire Fighting & Disaster Relief agency AW169 will benefit from the full glass cockpit with four axis auto-pilot and the Heli-TV system.