The Japan Coast Guard has placed an order with Subaru for two more Subaru Bell 412EPX helicopters, taking the agency’s 412EPX fleet up to six aircraft.
The aircraft will be used to support the Japan Coast Guard’s maritime security, search-and-rescue, and maritime disaster relief efforts, as well as fly cargo transport missions.
The Japan Coast Guard has operated more than 40 Bell 212 and 412 helicopters, using the manufacturer’s aircraft for more than five decades.
The 412EPX is the latest generation of the storied Bell 412 platform, developed in collaboration between Bell and Subaru — originally as the UH-2 for a Japan Ground Self-Defense Force contract.
At the Farnborough International Airshow in 2018, the two companies then announced the type would be offered to commercial customers.
Japan’s National Police Agency took delivery of the first Subaru Bell 412EPX in May 2021.
Compared with its predecessors, the 412EPX offers an extended hover ceiling, increased payload capacity, robust main rotor gearbox and dry run capability. It also features state-of-the-art integrated avionics with large displays that are designed for intuitive use to reduce a pilot’s workload.
Subaru said it was “committed to supporting the safe and reliable operation of helicopters, not only through continued helicopter production and sales activities, but also through parts supply and maintenance.”
