The contract for the three aircraft was signed at Heliexpo 2020, which ran from January 27-30 in Anaheim, United States. The official signing took place between Safomar, the local agents for Enstrom, and Enstrom, with VIP dignitaries from the Botswana police present. This included Keabetswe Makophe, the commissioner of police for the Botswana Police Service.
Safomar Aviation, the Enstrom dealer in South Africa, was awarded the tender after flight demonstrations, sales support, maintenance capability and contract negotiations. The new helicopters will be customised to the Botswana Police Service specifications and include Trakka Systems day/night cameras and searchlights, navigation and communication equipment, cargo slinging and light emergency medical systems. Apart from specialist police duties, the aircraft can be quickly configured for the passenger role and carry three to five people. “The versatility and flexibility of the helicopter configuration allows the Botswana Police to fulfil a host of missions, including training, crime prevention, wildlife conservation, medical evacuation, command and control, and search and rescue,” said Shai Shalem, managing director of Safomar Aviation. The three 480Bs are scheduled for delivery in the second quarter of this year.
