The first French H145M fighter helicopters will soon join the ranks of the US Air Force by the manufacturer Airbus Helicopters gradually. In the first phase, EF will buy a total of six helicopters with the prospect of buying another six in a decade, which will replace the old Russian Mi-35 fighter helicopters.
The signatures for the purchase of the six fighter helicopters fell yesterday at the Ministry of Defense, for the amount of approximately € 140 million. The agreement was signed on behalf of the Ministry of Defense by the General Manager Mr. Andreas Loukas and on behalf of Airbus Helicopters by the Executive Vice President Mr. Olivier Michalon. It should be noted that Mr. Lukas visited a few days ago as head of the delegation of the ministry the international military exhibition “EUROSATORY 2022” in Paris, where he was briefed on the capabilities of H145M combat helicopters on the battlefield, by the head of the Airb program Constance Pinsdorf (see main photo). This type of combat helicopter is already used by the armed forces of the USA, Hungary, Germany, Serbia and Thailand.
Other equipment is coming
In his greeting, the Minister of Defense Mr. Charalambos Petridis announced the purchase of other new and modern armament programs with the aim of “upgrading the quality of the Armed Forces with modern means, equipment and capabilities, to be a reliable deterrent and defense force.” According to Mr. Petridis, “the continuing Turkish provocation in combination with the revisionist trend of Turkey and the ongoing occupation, leave us no room for complacency. “We must have a strong deterrent to the defense and security of our country and our citizens.” For her part, French Ambassador Salina Grenet-Catalano expressed confidence that this agreement would strengthen security and regional stability and further strengthen European defense and bilateral corporate defense cooperation.
Multi-role helicopters
The H145M light multi-role attack helicopter, capable of operating in demanding day and night environments, will enhance the capabilities of the Air Force for rapid mass fire response, accurate targeting and close proximity support and intelligence gathering missions. According to the manufacturer, a key feature of the H145M is the wide range of available optional shipping equipment packages that can be quickly installed and removed based on shipping requirements. Within minutes, the helicopter can be reconfigured by transporting troops, with search and rescue positions with a lift and rescue stretcher, or with an armed helicopter with a set of weapons and ballistic protection. It can carry out: support of friendly infantry forces, light air strikes, transport of military personnel and equipment, intelligence gathering missions, surveillance, targeting and reconnaissance, as well as search and rescue missions at sea. The H145M has a maximum take-off weight of 3.8 tons, with a payload of 1.9 tons. It can reach speeds of up to 240 kilometers per hour, with a maximum range of 638 kilometers, which translates to about 3.5 hours of flight. It has 12 and 20 mm machine guns, launches anti-tank missiles, laser-guided rockets and missiles, with a maximum range of 16 km. Additionally, the H145M can be connected to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
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