German Armed Forces receive first of 82 H145M helicopters
The global fleet of the H145 family has accrued close to eight million flight hours, according to Airbus. (Photo: Airbus)
The H145s have been named “Leichter Kampfhubschrauber” (light combat helicopter), or LKH for short, by the German Armed Forces.
The German Armed Forces has received the first of 82 Airbus H145Ms at its Donauwörth site, Airbus has announced. This first helicopter will be dedicated to training operations and used at the German Army’s Bückeburg base.
The contract for 82 multi-role H145M helicopters – 62 firm orders plus 20 options – was signed in December 2023. Airbus said that at the time, it was the largest order ever placed for the type, with the German Army receiving 57 and the Luftwaffe’s special forces set to receive five.
The contract also included seven years of support and services for the helicopter. The first delivery of a light-attack version of the H145M will be expected by 2025.
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“We remain a reliable partner of the German Bundeswehr,” said Stefan Thomé, managing director of Airbus Helicopters in Germany. “Delivering the first H145M LKH in less than a year after the contract signature demonstrates our commitment. The H145M LKH will be a true multi-mission asset for the German Armed Forces, supporting their crucial missions.
The H145M is a multi-role military helicopter that can be reconfigured from a light attack role into a special operations version, Airbus said. The standard version of the H145M is equipped with fixed provisions include HForce.
The incremental, plug-and-play weapon system was designed to fit any Airbus Helicopters military model, such as the H125M, H135M, H145M and H225M helicopters, for light attack missions.
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