Following the announcement in December 2012 of this order by the then-Eurocopter, HeliHub.com can confirm that the Finnish Border Forces have accepted two new AS332L1e helicopters in a ceremony on 21st December at Marignane, France.

Registered OH-HVP and HVQ, the helicopter are scheduled to remain in France for crew training, with in-country arrivals scheduled for the end of February and March – and in service in June. The pair will replace Agusta-Bell 412s, and will perform border patrol missions in addition to SAR and EMS work.

The Finnish Border Guard already operates three AS332L1 rotorcraft, which are assigned to its Turku base on the southwest coast of Finland. The service has logged arouns 25 years experience with each of these Super Pumas, which were delivered between 1988 and 1991. One of these three has recently been returned to the factory in southern France for an upgrade to the AS332L1e standard, with the other two to follow in due course.

Jeremy Parkin – HeliHub.com