News
Three new Bell 429s for Royal Australian Navy

Sept. 21, 2011, Sydney, Aus. – Bell Helicopter has been awarded a new
contract by Raytheon Australia to provide three Bell 429s for the Royal
Australian Navy's Retention and Motivation Initiative.

The Retention and Motivation Initiative provides the Royal Australian Navy with supported aircraft to allow junior qualified aircrew to consolidate and enhance their skills prior to flying operational helicopters. Under the terms of this four-year contract, these three state-of-the-art Bell 429s will replace currently operated helicopters in the fleet and fly a minimum of 1,500 flight hours per year.

“We are pleased by the Royal Australian Navy's enthusiasm for the Bell 429, and we are looking forward to working with Raytheon Australia  in supporting the Royal Australian Navy's Retention and Motivation Initiative,” said Sameer Rehman, Bell Helicopter’s managing director for the Asia Pacific region. “The Bell 429 is a perfect fit for the development of pilot and crew skills to make the transition to fleet aircraft. Its modern avionics, cabin size and speed will serve the Royal Australian Navy and Raytheon Australia well in this role. Not to  mention the Bell 429 is backed by Bell Helicopter’s industry-leading customer support and service,” he added.

Bell Helicopter has supported the Australian Defence Force for more than 50 years, through the sale and support of the Bell 47 Sioux, the  Bell 206 Kiowa and Bell UH-1 family of helicopters – and now the Bell 429.