Poland has scrapped the planned purchase of 50
Airbus Helicopters EC725 Caracels, after offset negotiations failed. An official statement from Warsaw said that the co
ntractor did not meet the eco
nomic interests and security of the Polish state. Meanwhile, Airbus Helicopters reported better news a
bout Thailand, which has ordered two additio
nal EC725s, and a
bout Mexico, which took delivery of its first AS365 Mbe, a new version of the Panther.
The country selected the EC725 in April of last year in preference to the Sikorsky S-70 or AgustaWestland (now Leo
nardo Helicopters) AW149. The choice was controversial, since the latter two manufacturers already had local industrial partnerships, with PZL Mielec and PZL Swidnik, respectively. Airbus Helicopters said it would work with its Polish distributor Heli Invest to create a final assembly line for the EC725s alo
ngside its R&D center at Lodz. Airbus Helicopters now markets the EC725 as the H225M, but is still using the former designation in recent statements.
The Polish government sought offsets worth at least the value of the contract, which it said yesterday was worth 13.5 billion Zloty ($3.5 billion). But the talks faltered, especially after the election of a new government late last year.
The Royal Thai Air Force has ordered two additio
nal EC725s, making a total of eight. Four have already been delivered, with two more due this year. The Mexican Navy is another repeat customer. Its first Panthers were delivered 10 years ago. It is buying 10 AS565 Mbe versions, which have uprated Safran Arriel 2N engines, a four-axis autopilot, and a new main gearbox and tail rotor.