Airbus has signed a memorandum of understanding with Babcock and CAE to offer the H145M helicopter and related training services to the Polish Air Force.
Under the terms, Airbus will provide the platform design and build, Babcock will deliver training lessons, and CAE will lead the simulation.
“The H145 is the perfect four tonne (8,818-pound) class dual use helicopter, equipped to perform a wide range of military missions, including training, disaster relief, search and rescue, special forces, light attack and more,” Airbus Helicopters Eastern Europe Sales Head Ludovic Boistot stated.
“It’s been used for these missions by key NATO and European allies of Poland such as the US, UK and Germany. We are confident with our training partners Babcock and CAE, who are world renowned companies in the fields of military training.”
Replacing SW-4 Helicopters
The collaboration supports Warsaw’s effort to replace the military’s PZL SW-4 Świdnik “Tawny Owl” light utility systems, operational since the 1990s, with an advanced rotary-wing fleet.
Alongside the Airbus consortium, Italian defense contractor Leonardo proposed its AW109 Trekker helicopter for the effort, while US company Bell is expected to submit a tender for its 505 JetRanger X, which was also recently offered for a next-generation US Army flight school program.
Some aircraft to be acquired through the program will be stationed at the Polish Air Force University in Deblin, where they will also be used to prepare aircrews for the armed forces’ incoming systems, including Apache helicopters.
The H145M
The H145M is a twin-engine platform incorporating Turbomeca Arriel’s 2E technology, each generating 570 horsepower.
It can transport up to 10 people and be equipped with multi-domain missiles, machine guns, and rockets for combat roles.
The platform has a range of more than 660 kilometers (410 miles), a service ceiling of 5,000 meters (16,404 feet), and a top speed of 250 kilometers (155 miles) per hour.
Among the military helicopter’s latest users are Cyprus, Germany, Belgium, Brunei, Indonesia, and Ireland.
