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Argentina Defense acquires six Bell 407GXi helicopters
May 31, 2023 By Wings Staff
The Bell 407GXi’s Garmin G1000H NXi Flight Deck enhances situational awareness and reduces pilot workload. (Photo: Bell Textron) The Argentinean Air Force and Army will operate six new Bell 407GXi helicopters under a $43 million purchase agreement executed between the Ministry of Defense of Argentina and the Canadian Commercial Corporation. The six helicopters will be built by Bell Textron Canada based in Mirabel, Quebec, and ultimately assist in Argentina’s search and rescue missions.
“The Bell 407GXi is a proven platform in high-altitude environments and will be pivotal to Argentina’s Military Search and Rescue operations,” said John Ramos, managing director, Latin America, Bell Textron. “All six Bell 407GXis will be outfitted in a utility configuration critical to rescue missions in Argentina’s mountainous terrain.”
Founded in 1986, Bell Textron Canada is now represented by 1,400 employees across the country providing service and support for customers around the globe. Bell Textron Canada is responsible for Bell’s current commercial production line, including the Bell 505, Bell 407GXi, Bell 429 and SUBARU Bell 412EPX. To date, the company has built more than 5,600 commercial helicopters and delivered more than 1,000 aircraft to Canadian customers.
“This announcement is a testament to the long-standing partnership of Bell and CCC to deliver Canadian-built helicopters to customers around the globe,” said Steeve Lavoie, President of Bell Textron Canada. “The Argentinian MOD will be well-served by the unmatched reliability and performance of its new Bell 407GXi fleet, and our team is delighted to enable their search and rescue mission.”
The Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC) is Canada’s government to government contracting agency. Through CCC’s International Prime Contractor service, the Government of Canada brings qualified Canadian companies to meet the needs of government buyers around the world.
“CCC is proud to partner with Bell Textron, a global leader in aerospace, to bring Canadian technology and expertise to Argentina,” said Kim Douglas, Vice-President of Business Development and Marketing, Canadian Commercial Corporation.
