The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department has announced plans to enhance its crime fighting capabilities with two new Airbus H125 helicopters.

The new helicopters, which represent the department’s inaugural partnership with Airbus, will be delivered later this year.

Nashville reaches 526 square miles and includes both high-density urban locations and rural areas. Each year, the department’s aviation unit responds to more than 2,000 calls, including searches for lost children, fleeing felons, drug eradication, robberies and vehicle pursuits.

“We need a versatile, powerful and proven aircraft to help us protect and serve the Nashville community,” said Metro Nashville PD Lt. Tommy Durbin. “After a thorough review of aircraft, it became clear the H125 is the right helicopter for the mission.”

The H125 is a cost effective, multi-mission helicopter that delivers high performance, enhanced maneuverability and reduced pilot workload. As the leading airborne law enforcement helicopter for many state and local agencies, the H125 accounts for nearly half of all intermediate, single-engine helicopters delivered for that mission in North America over the last decade.

“The H125 remains one of the most popular law enforcement helicopters in the U.S., and it’s not hard to see why,” said Ron Kelley, airborne law enforcement segment manager at Airbus Helicopters, Inc. “It thrives in a variety of missions, and law enforcement agencies know it will be there for them when their citizens need it most.”

Standard features on the H125 include dual hydraulics, dual channel engine FADEC, a crash resistant fuel system, and advanced glass-panel cockpit displays. The Nashville Police Department’s fleet will be configured with the latest search, communications, and surveillance equipment to support its various airborne law enforcement public safety missions.

The H125 is built at Airbus Helicopters, Inc.’s production and completion facility in Columbus, Mississippi, by a team made up of 40% U.S. veterans.