Indonesia receives first Panther ASW helicopters

Airbus Helicopters has delivered the first three of eleven AS565 MBe Panther helicopters to Indonesia.

The helicopters were delivered at a ceremony at Airbus Helicopters’ headquarters in Marignane, France, in the presence of representatives from Indonesia’s Ministry of Defence and the Indonesian Navy.

Under an agreement from 2014, Airbus Helicopters will supply the AS565 MBe helicopters to its Indonesia industrial partner PT Dirgantara Indonesia, who will reassemble and outfit these rotorcraft in-country.

PT will fit the helicopters with an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) suite which includes a dipping sonar and torpedo launch systems, allowing the Indonesian Navy to carry out its most demanding missions.

Under the contract with PT Dirgantara Indonesia, Airbus is to deliver the remaining AS565 MBe helicopters by 2018.

“The AS565 MBe has been developed using state-of-the-art processes and this enhanced variant of the Panther will benefit from an increased maximum take-off weight at 4,500kg. This will provide increased mission capabilities, specifically for the anti-submarine warfare missions these rotorcraft are expected to perform,” said Janick Blanc head of the Panther programme at Airbus Helicopters.