Italian defence and aerospace company Finmeccanica says its AgustaWestland subsidiary has won a contract worth US$348 million (TT$2.3 billion) to supply four AW139 helicopters to the Trinidad and Tobago government. The contract includes extensive training and logistical support for the country's Air Guard. A news release from the parent company says the AW139 is currently in use in countries such as Malaysia, Japan and the United Kingdom.
One of the primary uses for these aircraft is VIP/Corporate transport. The company's website states that the AW139 is capable of carrying up to 15 passengers "at very high speed, in a most spacious and comfortable cabin".
The fully-fuelled AW139 can fly for up to nearly six hours at an altitude of 6,000 feet and has a range of 1250 kilometers. It has a maximum cruising speed of 306 km/h, which means it could fly from Port of Spain to Grenada in about 20 minutes and to Barbados in about an hour.
The aircraft are sophisticated and versatile enough for transporting Prime Minister Patrick Manning and other officials anywhere in the country and on short regional trips but will not be able to handle the long-range flights of the Bombardier executive jet, which the government had contemplated buying.
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The company's sales brochure states: "The AW139’s world of refinement is matched by the highest standards in style and comfort. The spacious cabin provides flexibility for the most sophisticated requirements...The AW139’s interior materials are the finest available in the world, selected not only to maintain their beauty and value, but to enhance the experience of flying."
The contract documents state that the four helicopters will be for the use of The Trinidad and Tobago Air Guard (TTAG), a dedicated unit involved in search and rescue, surface surveillance, law enforcement, drug interdiction and disaster relief.
The company says the AW139 is the best selling medium twin-engine helicopter in the world. It says to date it has received 440 orders from nearly 120 customers in 40 countries around the world.
The average list price for the AW139 is about US$25 million, which would put the actual cost of the four helicopters at US$100 million (TT$663,000M), leaving the bulk of the contract figure - US$248 million (TT$1.6 billion) for upgrades, training and logistics.
The helicopters are part of the country's national security upgrade that includes three offshore patrol boats being built in England by the British shipbuilding firm, VT Group. The contract is worth TT$1.6 billion to build and maintain the offshore patrol vessels.
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