Safran Helicopter Engines has renewed its contract with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) to support the Arriel engines powering its MH-65 helicopters. This new 5-year contract will provide in-service support and MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) for more than 240 Arriel 2C2-CG engines, under a Support-By-the-Hour (SBH®) contract.
Cédric Goubet, Safran Helicopter Engines CEO, said: “Our Safran teams are very proud that the U.S. Coast Guard continues to place its trust in our SBH service offering. MH-65 helicopters are used daily for protection and rescue at sea, and it is essential that we can guarantee the best service rate for their Arriel engines”.
The U.S. Coast Guard’s MH-65 helicopters (photo) have been powered by two Arriel 2C2-CG engines since 2003. They are used daily for Short Range Recovery (SSR) missions. Equipped with their Safran engines, this fleet has accumulated over 1.7 million flight hours.
In-service support for these engines will continue to be provided by Safran Helicopter Engines USA in Grand Prairie, Texas, which supports more than 400 customers in the United States and a total fleet of 3,200 engines.
SBH is Safran Helicopter Engines’ maintenance-by-the-hour service. It helps to visualize engine operating costs and streamline financial flows, while making scheduled and unscheduled maintenance operations more flexible. SBH is integrated into a range of high value-added digital services such as Health Monitoring, Expert Link and Online SBH. Today, 50% of Safran Helicopter Engines’ engine flight hours are covered by the SBH service.
Safran is an international high-technology group, operating in the aviation (propulsion, equipment and interiors), defense and space markets. Its core purpose is to contribute to a safer, more sustainable world, where air transport is more environmentally friendly, comfortable and accessible. Safran has a global presence, with 92 000 employees and sales of 23.2 billion euros in 2023, and holds, alone or in partnership, world or regional leadership positions in its core markets.
Safran is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange and is part of the CAC 40 and Euro Stoxx 50 indices.
Safran Helicopter Engines is the world’s leading manufacturer of helicopter engines, with more than 75,000 produced since being founded. It offers the widest range of helicopter turboshafts in the world and has more than 2,500 customers in 155 countries.