H145M Light Utility Helicopter - Program
The H145 M is a Light Utility Helicopter Special Operations Forces ( LUH SOF), i.e. a light multi-purpose helicopter for supporting special forces. The machine is tailored to their needs. When procuring it, the Bundeswehr deliberately chose a helicopter that was available on the market, the EC145. The Federal Government intervened in the procurement market, and consciously chose a helicopter available on the market, the EC145. This was then adapted to the needs of the soldiers.
The new version of Airbus’ best-selling H145 light twin-engine helicopter was unveiled at Heli-Expo 2019 in Atlanta, GA, with launch customers announced for almost every market segment. The H145M is a military derivative of the H145 light-twin helicopter, which had its roots in a 1990s German-Japanese project. Prior to the successful high-altitude test campaign in South America, where the aircraft set its skids down on the Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Southern hemisphere, the new H145 performed several test campaigns including in Spain at medium altitudes and Finland for cold weather.
By 2023 the global fleet of the H145 family had accumulated more than seven million flight hours. It is used by armed and law enforcement forces around the world for the most demanding missions. The US Army employs almost 500 helicopters from the H145 family under the name of UH-72 Lakota. Current operators of the H145M are Hungary, Serbia, Thailand and Luxembourg; Cyprus has ordered six aircraft.
The German Bundeswehr and Airbus Helicopters signed a contract 14 December 2023 for the purchase of up to 82 multi-role H145M helicopters (62 firm orders plus 20 options). This is the largest order ever placed for the H145M and consequently the largest for the HForce weapon management system. The contract also includes seven years of support and services, ensuring optimal entry into service. The German Army will receive fifty-seven helicopters, while the Luftwaffe's special forces will receive five. The Bundeswehr already operated 16 H145M LUH SOF and 8 H145 LUH SAR helicopters.
With its special technologies, the H145 M is prepared for special land and sea operations. Each H145 M carries four fully equipped soldiers from the special forces, for example the KSK Special Forces Command or the KSM Naval Special Forces Command, to their place of use. In the future, the helicopter will also be able to provide fire support and aerial reconnaissance. In addition, wounded people will soon be able to be evacuated with this helicopter.
The Search and Rescue Service ( SAR Search and rescue) of the Bundeswehr has a history as long as the army itself. Initially only planned as a military SARSearch and rescuefor the search and rescue of missing or injured aircraft crews, it became apparent as early as 1960 that the civilian capacities were not sufficient to carry out tasks outside the Bundeswehr. An agreement between the then Federal Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Defense then opened the way to integrating the military's capabilities into the civilian chain.
Pilots, rescue masters, technicians and SAR have been providing service for more than 60 yearsSearch and rescue- Bundeswehr control centers in military and civilian areas make an indispensable contribution to the rescue of missing or injured people. The order SARSearch and rescueThe Navy carries out the SAR via the Glücksburg control centerSearch and rescueLand is the responsibility of the army and is directed from the Münster control center. This service is demanding and requires the highest sense of responsibility. The forces are ready around the clock, 365 days a year to save lives in the shortest possible time.
For this challenging and risky task, they received a new helicopter. The seven ordered ultra-modern helicopters could be delivered without delay from December 2019 to the end of May 2020 Göhringer, a milestone in cooperation between the Bundeswehr and industry. Starting in 2020, the light support helicopter, which is based on the Airbus H145, will gradually replace the Bell UH-1D at Transport Helicopter Regiment 30 in Niederstetten. The new helicopter is produced at Airbus Germany in Donauwörth. The Bell UH-1D light multi-purpose helicopter had been the reliable flight system of the Bundeswehr's search and rescue units for almost 50 years.
On 19 June 2020 Airbus Helicopters’ five-bladed H145 was certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), clearing the way for customer deliveries towards the end of summer 2020. The certification covers the full range of capabilities, including single-pilot and instrument flight rules (IFR) and single engine operations (Cat.A/VTOL), along with night vision goggles capability.
“Our new five bladed H145 is an excellent example of our quest for continuous improvement and providing incremental innovation that responds to our customers' requirements", said Bruno Even, Airbus Helicopters CEO. “This helicopter combines value-added features with the robustness and the reliability of a tried-and-tested bestseller, making it very competitive in the light twin-engine market.”
The Machine Gun 6 ( MG6) is the on-board weapon of the MBB-BK 117 D-2m. The light multi-purpose helicopter for carrying out special operations (Light Utility Helicopter Special Operations Forces, LUH SOFLight Utility Helicopter – Special Operation Forces) can be used, among other things, for armed reconnaissance and fire support from the air. When the LUH accompanies a convoy, the lightly armored vehicles move quickly along a road towards the target area. The helicopter circles at a safe height over the area, barely noticeable from the ground. Possible enemies are spotted from the air and their behavior is observed. After a battle breaks out on the ground, the LUH becomes SOF – Special Operation Forces requested for fire support. With a rate of 3,000 rounds per minute, the tactical operators can use the MG6 to effectively influence events on the ground from the air. The LUH immediately goes into a descent and attacks the marked target with powerful bursts of fire.
The crews of the H145M LUH SOF know how to fly at low altitudes and under difficult conditionsLight Utility Helicopter – Special Operation Forces. At home in Laupheim, Swabia, this is practiced every day by the soldiers of the squadron and they also have JSOTF in Niger, Africa, as part of the missionJoint Special Operations Task Force GAZELLE proved its capabilities for two years. Air Defender offers the opportunity to train skills within the NATO alliance.
The French Armament General Directorate (DGA) ordered 42 new H145 helicopters at the end of 2023, on behalf of the Ministry of Interior, with deliveries set to start in 2024. Of these 42 helicopters, 36 are destined for the French rescue and emergency response agency, Sécurité Civile, while the French law enforcement agency, Gendarmerie Nationale, will use six. The contract includes an option for a further 22 H145s for the Gendarmerie Nationale and a range of support and service solutions from training to spare parts, as well as a complete initial support package for the aircraft.
“We have a long standing relationship with the Gendarmerie Nationale and the Sécurité Civile and I am very proud that we will add another chapter to our shared story,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters. “The H145 has already proven its worth with the Sécurité Civile conducting many rescue missions in the difficult mountainous environment of the French Alps”, he added. “The H145 is operated by many law enforcement agencies across the world. The Gendarmerie will benefit from a state-of-the-art helicopter equipped with the latest mission systems,” he explained.
The Sécurité Civile currently operates four five-bladed H145s, ordered in 2020 and 2021. The 36 H145s will progressively replace the 33 EC145s currently in operation for rescue and air medical transport services, throughout France. The six H145s will initiate the renewal of the Gendarmerie’s fleet, composed of Ecureuils, EC135s and EC145s. They will be equipped with an electro-optical system and a mission computer to perform the most demanding law enforcement missions.
Certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency in June 2020, this new version of Airbus’ best-selling H145 light twin-engine helicopter brings a new, innovative five-bladed rotor to the multi-mission helicopter, increasing the useful load by 150 kg while delivering new levels of comfort, simplicity, and connectivity. Powered by two Safran Arriel 2E engines, the H145 is equipped with full authority digital engine control (FADEC) and the Helionix digital avionics suite. It includes a high performance 4-axis autopilot, increasing safety and reducing pilot workload. Its particularly low acoustic footprint makes the H145 the quietest helicopter in its class. By end-2023 Airbus has more than 1,675 H145 family helicopters in service around the world, logging a total of more than 7.6 million flight hours.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
