Md. to buy six Medevac helicopters
The Maryland Board of Public Works has approved a $72 million contract to buy six Medevac helicopters to begin replacing an aging fleet.
The board voted 3-0 on Wednesday to approve the contract with Agusta Aerospace Corp. The contract includes an option to buy up to six additional helicopters between July 2011 and July 2013.
The first two helicopters are expected in Maryland within 18 months. The other four will arrive within two years.
Maryland currently uses 11 helicopters purchased between 1989 and 1999. One helicopter crashed in September 2008, killing four people and prompting extra scrutiny of the system, which was the subject of a critical audit by state analysts a month before the accident.
-- Associated Press
By
Washington Post editors
| October 20, 2010; 11:47 AM ET
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Maryland
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Posted by: MarilynManson | October 20, 2010 1:01 PM | Report abuse
Wow - didn't realize that these helos cost $12mil per. I guess they're more expensive because of the special medical equipment onboard. If some of the 11 in the fleet are more than 20 years old, it probably is time to start replacing. I wonder if any of old ones can be sold to help off-set some of the cost. I mean, the military still uses some Vietnam-era helos, so if MD's still fly, maybe someone will want one just as a helo & not as a medevac unit.
Posted by: PorthosAD | October 20, 2010 9:43 PM | Report abuse
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As someone whose life was saved by a medevac helicopter, I am very aware of their importance. I am happy to see this important program sustained.