

EC135 helicopter upgrades, orders and deliveries Eurocopter delivered more than 1,000 EC135 helicopters to more than 100 customers across the world. It received FAA certification in July 1996. The EC135 made its first flight in February 1994. It is the front-line helicopter for police surveillance across the British Isles. EC135 accounts for 57% of helicopters used in homeland security roles in the UK. The EC135 can conduct homeland security, law enforcement, passenger and VIP transport, search and rescue (SAR) and EMS operations. The EC135 helicopter is widely operated by police forces, emergency medical services (EMS) and charter companies. The helicopter offers extended range and payload capacities, while delivering low noise operations. The French Gendarmerie uses EC135 helicopters for police and medical evacuation missions.ĮC135 is a multimission twin-engine helicopter manufactured by Eurocopter.

Image courtesy of ©Eurocopter, Anthony Pecchi.Įurocopter launched the improved EC135 T3/P3 helicopter versions at the Heli-Expo 2013.Įurocopter EC135 helicopter has a maximum take-off weight of 2,910kg. Image courtesy of ©Eurocopter, Charles Abarr.Ī Eurocopter EC135 operated by the German Federal Police Aviation. Under the code name “Silver Dollar”, they were assigned to Andrews AFB and were intended for use by the President as his airborne command post in the event of nuclear war.Eurocopter EC135 is a multimission helicopter capable of conducting homeland security, law enforcement, passenger transport, search and rescue (SAR) and emergency medical service operations. In the mid-1960s this aircraft and two others were modified to EC-135J standards. The primary external differences between these aircraft and the standard tankers are the large number of communications antennas along the top of the fuselage and the addition of a refueling receptacle above the cockpit. For nearly forty years, one of these aircraft was airborne at all times to provide command and control of the United States’ nuclear forces in the event of a surprise attack. The EC-135B version of the Stratotanker was designed from the beginning as an airborne command post. The KC-135 allowed both the tanker and the receiver aircraft to fly comfortably in the middle of their flight envelopes rather than at the edges. The KC-97s then in use required the jets to fly at very low speeds while the tanker struggled to fly as fast as possible. The KC-135 was designed based on an Air Force requirement for a high-speed jet tanker capable of refueling the then latest generation of jet fighters and bombers. Developed from the Model 367-80 airliner prototype, the KC-135 and 707 are two of Boeing’s most famous products.
