Germany orders 20 more Airbus H145M helicopters, lifting total fleet commitment to 82 units

“We are honoured and proud that Germany has decided to order 20 additional H145M LKH helicopters. This further commitment by one of our home countries is a powerful sign of trust in the H145M’s exceptional performance and multi-role capabilities,” said Stefan Thomé, Managing Director of Airbus Helicopters in Germany.

The first H145M LKH helicopter was delivered to Germany in November 2024, less than a year after the contract was signed, and further deliveries have taken place since then. The helicopters are intended for training, reconnaissance, special forces operations and light attack missions.

Under the programme, the German Army will receive 72 helicopters, while the Luftwaffe’s special forces will operate ten. The H145M can be reconfigured within minutes, switching from a light attack role with ballistic and guided weapons and a self-protection system to a special operations configuration with fast rappelling equipment.

The H145M is the military version of the light twin-engine H145, a type whose global fleet has accumulated more than eight million flight hours. Operators include armed and law enforcement forces worldwide, with the Bundeswehr already using the helicopter for special forces and search and rescue missions.

The US Army operates almost 500 helicopters from the H145 family as the UH-72 Lakota, which have logged more than 1.5 million flight hours. Other military users include Hungary, Serbia, Luxembourg, Thailand, Ecuador, Honduras and Cyprus, with recent orders placed by Belgium, Brunei and Ireland.

Powered by two Safran Arriel 2E engines, the H145M features full authority digital engine control and the Helionix digital avionics suite. This includes a high-performance four-axis autopilot and contributes to a low acoustic footprint that makes the H145M the quietest helicopter in its class.