Lower Saxony Police – or Neidersachsen Polizei in local language – have two new Airbus EC135P2e helicopters on order.  The first aircraft was due for delivery in June according to the May/June edition of Lower Saxony Police’s proPolizei publication, with the second following in the fourth quarter of 2015.  Both will be based at Langenhagen International  Airport in Hannover.

Very little role equipment is visible from early photos of the aircraft concerned, with just a loud-hailer system visible mounted centrally under the cabin, and long steps fitted halfway up the skids which would be suitable for mounting IR turret, searchlight, etc.  Contract value is around 22 Million Euros.

The two new helicopters replace two very old SA365C Dauphins, registered D-HOPE and D-HOPQ, which were introduced to the fleet in 1979 and 1980

Lower Saxony Police also operates a pair of MD Explorers.  They originally operated three, but lost one in an accident in November 2007 and replaced it shortly after with an ex-MD demo aircraft which had originally been built for the ill-fated Dutch order.  Unfortunately that aircraft was also damaged beyond repair, in January 2010.

The new 135s are serials 1183 and 1191 and will take up registrations D-HPNE and D-HPNF.  They are being test flown by Airbus from Donauworth as D-HCBK and D-HCBF respectively.

John Burcote – HeliHub.com