Airbus has handed over multiple helicopters to the Hungarian, French, and Spanish Armed Forces as part of separate agreements signed with the NATO countries.
The deliverables included the company’s proprietary H225, H145, and H135 systems, which are to be used for various roles.
The distributions coincided with Airbus’ latest deal with the Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation to extend global support for the Tiger mission helicopter operational in France, Spain, and Germany.
H225s for Hungary
Under the deliveries, Hungary received two H225s ordered through a 2018 contract to replace the country’s Soviet-era rotorcraft fleet.
The helicopters count as the sixth pair of up to 20 systems planned on the project, with the initial pair delivered in July 2023.
H145s in France
For France, Airbus shipped the first helicopter of up to 45 H145 systems that Paris purchased in 2023 for rescue, emergency, and law enforcement tasks.
About 30 of the incoming fleet will be sent to the French Civil Defense agency, while the remainder will be dedicated to the National Gendarmerie.
Spanish H135s
Meanwhile, Spain accepted five new H135s for the nation’s Navy, Air and Space Force, Civil Guard, and National Police as part of a 36-aircraft agreement revealed in 2021.
The handover is a milestone for Madrid, as it increased the government’s collective H135 fleet to 100.
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Airbus received contracts in November to deliver 12 H225s to the Dutch Ministry of Defense and 19 H135s for the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Concurrently, the company finalized flight testing of the German Navy’s future NH90 variant built specifically for Berlin’s maritime mission requirements.
A month earlier, Airbus completed the maiden demonstration of the unmanned Lakota helicopter being developed for the US Marine Corps.
Airbus also received separate agreements earlier this year to supply H145 platforms to Indonesia and H225s to Iraq.
