State-owned aircraft manufacturer PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) announced on 21 July that it has delivered two more Bell 412EPI multirole medium helicopters to the Indonesian Army (Tentara Nasional Indonesia-Angkatan Darat: TNI-AD).
The rotorcraft, which are believed to be the fourth and fifth of the type to be handed over to the service, are part of a USD183 million contract signed with the Ministry of Defence in Jakarta in December 2018 for nine Bell 412EPI helicopters customised by PTDI to meet TNI-AD requirements.
PTDI announced on 21 July that it has handed over two more Bell 412EPI helicopters to the Indonesian Army as part of a contract for nine such rotorcraft signed in December 2018. (PTDI)
No further details were provided, including when deliveries are set to be completed.
The previous helicopters of the type were delivered to the Army Aviation Center's 11th Air Squadron. The first platform was handed over in December 2020 while the second and third were delivered in February this year.
As Janes reported, the 412EPIs are being manufactured in the United States by Bell, a subsidiary of Textron, before being handed over to PTDI for customisation work ahead of final delivery to the TNI-AD. In late 2019 PTDI said that it would arm each of the helicopters with “sophisticated weaponry”, including a Gatling-type gun from US-based company Dillon Aero.
In 2016 Bell and PTDI signed an extension to the original industrial and commercial agreement reached in 2012, enabling the two companies to expand their support and services in Indonesia to Bell helicopter operators.
The two companys have been working together to support the Indonesian Armed Forces since 1982.
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