PTDI hands over second and third Bell 412EPI helicopters to Indonesian Army

State-owned aircraft manufacturer PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) has delivered two more Bell 412EPI multirole medium helicopters to the Indonesian Army (Tentara Nasional Indonesia-Angkatan Darat or TNI-AD).

The company said in a statement that the rotorcraft, which were the second and third to be handed over to the service, are part of a USD183 million contract signed with the Ministry of Defence in Jakarta in December 2018 for nine Bell 412EPIs customised by PTDI to meet TNI-AD requirements.

The latest two helicopters were delivered on 17 and 19 February, respectively, and are meant for use by the Army Aviation Center’s 11th Air Squadron.

No further details were provided, including when deliveries are set to be completed.

As Janes reported in late 2019, the 412EPIs are being manufactured in the United States by Bell, a subsidiary of Textron, and then handed over to PTDI for customisation work before final delivery to the TNI-AD. At the time PTDI said that it would arm each of the helicopters with “sophisticated weaponry”, including a Gatling-type gun from US-based company Dillon Aero.

In 2016 Bell and PTDI signed an extension to the original industrial and commercial agreement reached in 2012, enabling the two companies to expand their support and services in Indonesia to Bell helicopter operators.

Bell and PTDI have been working together to support the Indonesian Armed Forces since 1982.