Airbus has delivered the first two H135s to the Spanish Guardia Civil and National Police under the 36-unit contract signed with the General Directorate for Armaments and Materiel (DGAM) at the end of 2021 to supply the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Interior with the aircraft. The Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, and Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters, along with Fernando Lombo, Managing Director of Airbus Helicopters in Spain, were present at the handover ceremony that took place at the Airbus plant in Albacete.
The new helicopters will enable the National Police and Guardia Civil to replace BO105 helicopters in a wide range of missions including police, surveillance and rescue activities. In total, the Ministry of Interior will receive 18 units.
As for the Spanish Air Force and Navy, which will receive eleven and seven H135s respectively, deliveries will begin next year and will be added to the 16 helicopters already operated by the Spanish Army for training and support missions for the Military Emergency Unit (UME). From 2023 onwards, the three armed forces will be able to benefit from synergies in terms of training, operation, and maintenance.
