Following the announcement at the recent FIDAE Air Show in Chile of the delivery of a new Airbus H125, we can now reveal that Carabineros de Chile also have plans to add both an H135 and an H145 in the short term.

An Airbus H135 is in the process of being procured for the Maule region in South Central Chile, while the H145 is already ordered for October 2024 delivery.  This aircraft will cover the Arica and Parinacota region in the far north of the country.

New twin turbine helicopters are under consideration for a further three of the Carabineros operational regions – Tarapacá, La Serena and Metropolitan. Each is currently out to tender and the results of these processes are awaited.

The addition of the H125 has also freed up a Leonardo A109E Power from the law enforcement agency’s fleet, allowing them to create a new base at Rodelillo airfield in the province of Valparaiso

The current Carabineros fleet consists of

• Leonardo AW139 x1
• Leonardo A109E x4
• Airbus Bo105 x9 – some reports suggest 3 or 4 of these have been retired
• Airbus BK117 x3
• Airbus H125 x1
• Airbus H135 x2
• Bell 206 x1

© Airbus Helicopters / Anthony Pecchi