The UK Ministry of Defence has placed an order for an additional six Airbus H145 helicopters, marking the next phase in the modernisation of its rotary fleet and streamlining the variety of helicopter types in operation.
The new aircraft will primarily serve emergency response duties in Cyprus and support military training in jungle warfare in Brunei, replacing the Airbus Pumas currently fulfilling these roles.
Lenny Brown, Managing Director of Airbus Helicopters in the UK, commented: “We congratulate the MoD on this smart acquisition which simultaneously provides the right-sized helicopter for the Cyprus and Brunei requirements, represents excellent value for the UK taxpayer, and is another key step in the rationalisation of types in the transport helicopter fleet.”
He added: “The H145 Jupiter and its sister H135 Juno, continue to demonstrate exceptional reliability and versatility in the training role in the Military Flying Training System (MFTS) and will bring these crucial attributes to their new tasks.”
Scheduled for delivery next year, the new helicopters will operate alongside 29 H135s and seven H145s at the Defence Helicopter Flying School, where all UK military pilots undergo training as part of the Military Flying Training System at RAF Shawbury. The expanded H145 fleet will result in cost efficiencies and significantly reduce pilot conversion training duration.
