Germany has exercised options for 20 Airbus Helicopters H145Ms, adding to the 62 examples of the light-twin it ordered in December 2023.
Acquired under Berlin’s Leichter Kampfhubschrauber (LKH) requirement, the German army will receive 62 units, while the Luftwaffe’s special forces will take 20.
Missions for the H145M LKH include training, reconnaissance, special forces operations and light attack.
All 82 of the H145M LKHs are equipped with the fixed provisions and the HForce weapon management system to allow them to be armed if required.
Germany has not specified how many weapons kits it has ordered, or their configuration. Airbus Helicopters’ HForce system offers options including podded machine guns and guided rockets and anti-tank missiles.
An initial H145M LKH was handed to Germany in November 2024. However, neither Berlin nor the airframer have disclosed the delivery timeline for the remaining aircraft.
Germany already operates two other fleets of the twin-engined type: 16 H145M LUF SOF for the special forces and eight of the commercial-derative search and rescue-roled H145 LUH SAR.
Airbus Helicopters builds the H145M at its plant in Donauworth in southern Germany.
