Bell Textron has delivered a refurbished Bell 212 medium utility helicopter to the Royal Thai Navy as part of its service life extension program.
The overhaul — completed at Bell’s Asia Service Center in Singapore — included upgrades to the helicopter’s fuel system, avionics suite, and exterior paint, along with additional enhancements aimed at improving performance, safety, and operational readiness.
To commemorate the project’s completion, Bell presented a custom crystal plaque to the Royal Thai Navy and the Royal Airport Service during a defense and security exhibition in Bangkok.
The Bell 212
Introduced in 1968, the Bell 212 has supported missions ranging from aerial firefighting and transport to law enforcement.
Nearly 900 units were built over more than 30 years of production, with its legacy now carried on by the modern twin-engine Bell 412.
The helicopter is 57 feet (17 meters) long with a 48-foot (15-meter) rotor diameter, operated by a two-person crew and capable of seating up to 14 passengers.
Powered by a 1,800-horsepower engine, the Bell 212 can reach speeds of 120 knots (138 miles/222 kilometers per hour), fly up to 17,400 feet (5,304 meters), and cover roughly 230 nautical miles (265 miles/426 kilometers).
Twenty militaries around the world operate the Bell 212 today, primarily for logistics, training, and humanitarian support.
