German Armed Forces receive first H145M helicopter from Airbus

Airbus Helicopters announced Monday they have delivered the first of up to 82 H145Ms helicopters ordered by Germany at its Donauwörth site. The Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces) have named their new H145Ms “Leichter Kampfhubschrauber” (light combat helicopter), or LKH for short. The helicopter's missions include training, reconnaissance, special forces operations, and light attack.

The first helicopter delivered is dedicated to training operations and will be used at the German Army's Bückeburg base. The first delivery of a “light attack role” LKH is scheduled for 2025. Pilot training started in August.

Signed in December, the contract between Bundeswehr and Airbus Helicopters for 82 helicopters (62 firm orders plus 20 options) 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. The German Army will receive 57 helicopters, while the Luftwaffe's special forces will receive five.

The H145M is a multi-role military helicopter that provides a broad range of mission capabilities. Within minutes, the helicopter can be reconfigured from a light attack role with axial ballistic and guided weapons into a special operations version with fast rappelling equipment.

The H145M is the military version of the light twin-engine H145 helicopter. The global fleet of H145s has accumulated close to eight million flight hours. The Bundeswehr already operates 24 H145 helicopters for special forces operations and search and rescue missions.

The U.S. Army employs almost 500 helicopters from the H145 family under the name UH-72 Lakota which have clocked more than 1.5 million flight hours.

Military operators of the H145 family are Hungary, Serbia, Luxembourg, Thailand, Ecuador, and Honduras. Recent orders include Cyprus, signing for six aircraft, Belgium for 17, and Brunei for six.