Airbus Helicopters delivered the first two of 15 H145M helicopters to the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr), the company said Tuesday.
The helicopters are to be used in Germany by the Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK), the German Army’s Special Forces, in Laupheim, Germany. The H145M, a lightweight military multi-role helicopter, is the military version of the civil H145 that entered service in summer 2014. Airbus noted the civil version recently reached 10,000 flying hours in customer operations.
H145M can be used for operations including utility, reconnaissance, search and rescue, armed scout, and medical evacuation, Airbus said. The rotorcraft is also designed for both day and night missions as well as harsh weather conditions and difficult terrain.
The company said the aircraft were delivered on schedule and within the budget.
“With its cutting-edge technologies, outstanding performance and true multi-role capabilities, the H145M answers to the challenging demands of our military customers in today´s missions. We are very proud to hand over these aircraft on time and on budget,” Wolfgang Schoder, CEO of Airbus Helicopters Germany, said in a statement.
The German H145M model is equipped with a fast roping system for troops, cargo hooks, hoists, a pintle-mounted door gun, ballistic protection, and an electronic countermeasures system. It has a maximum take-off weight of 3.7 tons and has mission equipment range including a helmet mounted sight and display as well as a self-sealing supply tank.
Airbus also noted the German helicopter is equipped with the Helionix® digital avionics suite, which “significantly supports the pilot during the mission by intelligently providing the right information at the right time to reduce the pilots’ workload.” The suite summarizes relevant flight parameters on single screens for flight management to optimize the situational awareness in the cockpit.
Earlier in 2015 the Bundeswehr awarded Airbus a seven-year comprehensive cooperative support and services agreement. The company’s responsibilities under that agreement include the management and implementation of maintenance and repair activities, material supply, and airworthiness.
“This co-operative full-service contract is a modern and proven answer to the force´s claims for optimal availability, reliability and readiness of the helicopter fleet. It secures the level of autonomy of the KSK in crisis and war operations while using the best-practice support and service of the global civil H145 fleet,” Schoder said.
Other helicopters in the H145 family include the UH-72A Lakota, used by the U.S. military for utility and training missions.