The French Armament General Directorate (DGA) has ordered 42 new Airbus H145 helicopters on behalf of the Ministry of the Interior, with 36 destined for rescue and emergency medical response missions.
Deliveries of the five-bladed, light twin-engine helicopter will begin in 2024. The majority are destined for the French rescue and emergency response agency, Sécurité Civile, while the French law enforcement agency (the Gendarmerie Nationale) will use six.
“The H145 has already proven its worth with the Sécurité Civile conducting many rescue missions in the difficult mountainous environment of the French Alps”, explained Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters. The agency currently operates four H145s, ordered in 2021, with the 36 new deliveries set to progressively replace the 33 EC145s currently in operation throughout France.
The latest version of the H145 features a new and innovative five-bladed rotor, increasing the platform’s useful load by 150kg. Also the quietest helicopter in its class, the new H145 features safety upgrades such as an updated avionics suite, a four-axis autopilot and full authority digital engine control (FADEC).