The Tunisian Air Force has signed an agreement for the acquisition of 12 Subaru Bell 412EPX utility helicopters, the American manufacturer Bell Textron Inc. announced on Monday at the Paris Aeronautical Show.
This order marks the first delivery of this version in the Middle East and Africa region. Helicopters will be intended for multiple military and security missions, according to Bell.
The Bell 412EPX, developed in partnership with the Japanese manufacturer Subaru, has a maximum weight at takeoff of 5,530 kg. It can transport up to 2.4 tonnes in internal load, or 2.8 tonnes in external load, thanks to two PT6T-9 engines from Pratt & Whitney Canada.
Tunisia already operates 39 devices from the Bell brand, including UH-1, 205 and OH-58 models. This new purchase aims to strengthen the army’s projection capacities in an unstable regional security context.
“The Bell 412 is one of the most reliable devices in the world,” said Tim Evans, regional director of Bell for the Middle East and Africa. According to the industrialist, more than 54 % of Bell 412 in service worldwide are engaged in military or parapublic missions.
Towards a upgrade of military air security
This order comes as the Tunisian military aviation recorded four major helicopter crashes in less than four years. The latest, on June 21, 2024 in Gafsa, cost a pilot life.
Since 2021, similar accidents have been identified in Bizerte, at sea off the coast of Bizerte, and to El Hamma, causing the death of at least nine soldiers in total. These incidents have rekindled concerns about the state of equipment and flight safety.
Surveys have been opened each time, but the recurrence of crashs highlights the limits of the existing fleet. The announced modernization could respond in part to these failures.
