On 13 October 2025, the Police and the Italian company Leonardo signed a contract to buy two new helicopters for emergency medical service.
The contract was signed at Brnik Airport in the premises of the Air Support Unit by Police Director General Damjan Petrič and Leonardo representative Claudio Vinetti. The signing was also attended by the Minister of the Interior Boštjan Poklukar and the Minister of Health Valentina Prevolnik Rupel.
This is one of the most important steps in the development of helicopter emergency medical service in Slovenia, a system that has been indispensable in saving lives for many years, but has never before been equipped with dedicated helicopters. Now two rescue helicopters will be dedicated exclusively for helicopter emergency medical service.
Based on a government decision, the Police will carry out the transport part, drawing on their many years of experience in helicopter operations. The beginnings of this activity date back to 1967, when they received their first helicopter, which was used the very next year in the first rescue of people injured in an avalanche.
Since then, for almost six decades, the Police have been developing both police aviation and rescue capabilities. Between 2007 and 2018, they also provided helicopter medical assistance, but had to hand it over to the Slovenian Armed Forces due to the obsolescence of the fleet. In just six years before handing over the activity, they carried out almost 1,100 flights for emergency medical purposes, while in the last twelve years, they also carried out almost 1,000 mountain rescues, helping many people.
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The two helicopters that were selected in the public procurement process are manufactured by the company whose helicopters are already part of the police fleet. The manufacturer ensured that a helicopter of the same type and configuration as the ones to be delivered under the contract flew to Brnik, so that guests could see the helicopter up close.
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Activity of the Air Support Unit
