German police to receive new EC145 helicopter variant MARIGNANE, France, Dec. 12 (UPI) -- Eurocopter has announced it is to produce a police variant of its EC145 helicopter, with a German state to receive the first six aircraft. The EC145 T2 will use new Arriel 2E engines, the company's fenestron shrouded tail rotor, upgraded main and tail rotor gear boxes and a digital avionics suite with 4-axis autopilot. Its primary role will be observation and surveillance using forward-looking infrared and daylight cameras controlled by an operator who also handles communications. The announcement of the new EC145 variant was coupled with an announcement that the police in the state of Baden Wurttemberg had ordered six of the aircraft. "The Landespolizei Baden Württemberg has been a Eurocopter customer for decades," said Thomas Hein, Eurocopter's vice president of Sales and Customer Relations for Europe. From our point of view, its selection of the EC145 T2 as the police version's launch customer confirms this long-lasting positive cooperation and the trust in our products. The EC145 T2's advanced and expandable mission systems, and improved performance, will significantly enhance the police force's capabilities. Eurocopter is building the EC145 T2 at the company's production facility in Donauwörth, Germany. Certification of the new variant and deliveries to the police of Baden Württemberg are expected next year.