Airbus Helicopters delivered an H135 and an H145 to the Prefectura Aérea de Carabineros de Chile. The helicopters will enter service in the coming weeks after certification by the Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil. The H135 will operate in the Coquimbo region, while the H145 will serve the Tarapacá region.
These aircraft join an H135 delivered earlier in 2025 for the Maule region and an H145 delivered late in 2025 for Arica, bringing Carabineros’ fleet to four H135s and two H145s. The helicopters support multimission roles including emergency medical services, public security, surveillance, and mountain rescue operations.
Pierre Marie Gout, Airbus general manager in Chile, stated: These new aircraft will perform critical missions to support citizens where they are most needed. In the context of our 50 years with Carabineros de Chile, we maintain our commitment to ensuring maximum operability and reliability of their fleet for the success of their functions.
The Prefectura Aérea de Carabineros handles planning, organization, and execution of all aerial activities for the institution, such as personnel and equipment transport, aerial surveillance, and search and rescue. It operates from multiple bases across the country, with its main headquarters at Tobalaba Aerodrome in Santiago. Crews can take to the air within three minutes of an alert.
The H135 is a light twin-engine helicopter with a compact design and low maintenance costs, featuring a Fenestron shrouded tail rotor for enhanced ground operation safety. The larger H145 is a twin-engine model suited for high-altitude and high-intensity missions. Both are equipped with Helionix digital avionics to reduce pilot workload and improve safety in complex environments. Currently, 62 H135s and 122 H145s operate in Latin America.