Sri Lanka air force gets more Bell helicopters

Dec 02, 2011 (LBO) - Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company said it has delivered two Bell 412 helicopters to the Sri Lanka Air Force at its facility in Piney Flats, Tennessee in the United States. The two new helicopters from Bell, which had previously supplied a fleet of transport helicopters to the air force that were used in the war against Tamil separatists, have been configured for VIP passenger travel.

"We've had a strong partnership with the Sri Lanka Air Force for more than 40 years," Larry D Roberts, senior vice president for Bell Helicopter's Commercial Business, said in a statement.

Sri Lanka Air Force commander Air Marshall Harsha Abeywickrema, who accepted the keys to the new Bell 412s, said the aircraft was a "highly reliable and a capable product" for its mission needs.

"Dependable Bell products and the customer support and service we’ve received over the years are what we value. We look forward to continuing that relationship in the months and years to come," he said.

The Sri Lanka military operates a large fleet of helicopters with most of the transport versions being Bell Helicopter products.

During the ethnic war, which ended in 2009, most of the trans