Helicopters in the face of a new threat

Much has already been written about how helicopters are irreplaceable when it comes to dealing with natural disasters, be they floods, fires or hurricanes. It is estimated that the number of Brazilians who will be exposed to the consequences of climate change will be 6.5 million by 2030*, and the need for more modern helicopters is already in the public debate.

It is recognised that climate change has a direct impact on the number, nature and strength of adverse weather events. While Brazil has generally been largely spared from earthquakes, eruptions or hurricanes, a study** shows that overflowing rivers, sudden torrential rains, forest fires, along with landslides are the most frequent and costly catastrophes for the country, with a 60% prevalence per year compared to other crises. “Latin America in general is facing increasingly violent and frequent natural disasters, in many cases linked to the El Niño phenomenon,” explains Alberto Robles, Head of Latin America at Airbus Helicopters. “But in the case of Brazil, its enormous size and difficult access to some populations make helicopters even more essential, and a greater number of helicopters are needed to cover the country.” 

A versatile solution

In Brazil today, the response to natural disasters is managed by various agencies such as the Ministry of Defence, Minister of Environment or the various state fire and police forces. The general view is that few agencies can afford helicopters only for specific emergency response tasks, but instead need versatile platforms that can be adapted to a multitude of missions depending on the need. Another prevailing opinion is the need for many units in order to spread them throughout the country and cover a maximum area, since Brazil is a country of 8.5 million square kilometres, an area more than 13 times the size of France. The south and the Atlantic coast are the most vulnerable regions: in the last 12 months alone, five tropical cyclones have been recorded in the south of the country.

H145, the guardian angel of many countries

If there is one helicopter that has established itself in recent years as the multi-role platform par excellence, it is the H145.  In addition to the almost 500 Lakota units already in the possession of the US armed forces, customers such as the French civil security force, the German armed forces or, in Latin America, the Ecuadorian and Honduran governments, have chosen it – among other things – for its quick configuration time of just 10 minutes, depending on the mission: from firefighting with a Bambi Bucket®, to medical evacuation with two stretchers or search and rescue with a hoist. “We are convinced that the best option for Brazil’s multi-purpose needs is a platform like the H145, manufactured locally, with support in close proximity to operators, and above all, that provides the protection and support that the population needs to face what lies ahead.”

When catastrophe is unprecedented

After a week of historic storms and torrential rains in early May this year, Brazil’s southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul suffered immense flooding that included the collapse of dams and landslides, causing an environmental and humanitarian catastrophe. Nearly 180 people died and more than 2.3 million people were affected by what the government called a “climatic catastrophe”. Military operators, parapublic agencies, as well as civilian customers such as OMNI and Helisul, used their helicopters for search, rescue, evacuation and transport of essential materials. In total, 56 Airbus helicopters flew around 2,000 hours to assist victims, day and night. Helibras sent a support team to the Canoas Air Force base, at the heart of the tragedy, to provide 24-hour support to operators who needed to get the best out of their helicopters. For its part, the Airbus Foundation donated helicopter flight hours to the Red Cross organisation for aerial coordination and transport of emergency personnel.

*Climate Adaptation Platform 

**Climate Change Knowledge Portal