LONDON – The Cyprus government has signed a contract with Airbus Helicopters for the purchase of six H145Ms with an option for another six aircraft. The five-bladed helicopters will be operated by the Cypriot National Guard.
Executive statements
Andreas P. Louka, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Cyprus, said:
“The implementation of this agreement will provide the National Guard with a cost-effective and high-performance helicopter solution that satisfies the operational requirements set by the General Staff and addresses many of the future challenges of light attack helicopter fleets.”
“Able to operate in very demanding environments, the H145M will enhance the National Guard’s day and night capabilities in delivering rapid response, fire power and precision, providing effective combat support, and acquiring critical information.”
Olivier Michalon, Executive Vice President Global Business at Airbus Helicopters, responded:
“We would like to thank the Government of Cyprus for the trust they are placing in the H145M which is becoming the reference multi-role light attack helicopter on the market.”
“Operators can use it for tactical air transport, deployment of crisis response forces, fire support, armed reconnaissance as well as the evacuation of wounded or the liberation of hostages.”
“There are now five different customers for the H145M in Europe, adding to the interoperability of armed forces on the continent,” he added.
About the H145M
The H145M is a multi-role light utility military helicopter.
The military variant of the civil H145 helicopter, the latest version of the H145M features a new, innovative five-bladed rotor which effectively increases the helicopter’s payload by 150 kg.
The design of the new bearingless main rotor also simplifies maintenance operations.
The civilian variant of the H145 was developed for both day and night operations, and can operate in adverse conditions.
The military variant is used by armed forces, police and rescue teams all over the world. It is powered by two powerful Safran Helicopter Engines Arriel 2E turbines, controlled by the FADEC (full authority digital engine control) system.
The helicopter is further equipped with the Helionix digital avionics suite, which offers not only an innovative flight data management system, but also a powerful 4-axis autopilot.
This considerably reduces pilot workload on missions. The low noise emissions make the H145 the quietest helicopter in its class.
Current operational service – military variant
The H145M is already in service in Hungary (20), Germany (15), Serbia (9), Thailand (5) and Luxembourg (2).
The US Army operates a fleet of more than 460 locally built civil helicopters of the H145 family, under the name UH-72 Lakota.
Cypriot National Guard
The Cypriot National Guard operates as the military force of the Republic of Cyprus. The National Guard comprises air, land, sea and also Special Forces elements.
The contract for the six H145Ms was signed at the ILA Show this week in Berlin.
