Japan coast guard to add three Airbus H225 helicopters

June 21 (UPI) -- The Japanese coast guard has ordered three H225 helicopters from Airbus for use in security enforcement, coastal activities and disaster relief.

The order, when fulfilled in 2020, will bring the JCG's heavy-lift H225 aircraft fleet to nine units.

"The Japan coast guard has been operating helicopters from the Super Puma family for 25 years, and this H225 follow-on order illustrates our customer's confidence in our product and the dedicated support we have provided to the team over the years," Olivier Tillier, managing director of Airbus Helicopters in Japan, said in a press release.

"The H225 is the perfect choice for JCG's missions including search and rescue, and coastal and islands protection, given its versatility in all weather conditions. The Airbus Helicopters team in Japan will continue to render our utmost support to guarantee the continued availability of our customer's H225 fleet."

The H225, the latest member of Airbus Helicopters' Super Puma family, is an 11-ton-category twin-turbine rotorcraft. It carries as many as 19 passengers and boasts enhanced endurance of more than five hours.

Airbus Helicopters said 25 helicopters from its Super Puma family are now being flown in Japan by civil, parapublic operators and the Ministry of Defense. It did not, however, disclose the price Japan is paying for the new aircraft.