Airbus Helicopters has carried out the maiden sortie of the first of 62 H145Ms being assembled for its German armed forces customer under the LKH programme.
Taking place at the airframer’s manufacturing site in Donauworth near Munich, the first flight keeps the light-twin on course to meet a delivery target later this year.
Acquired to meet its LKH (light attack helicopter) requirement, Berlin last December placed a record-breaking 62-unit order for the type, in a deal also including 20 options.
Germany will use the H145Ms as a stop-gap replacement for the army’s Airbus Helicopters Tiger attack rotorcraft, with assets to also be flown by the air force.
Meanwhile, the delivery of the latest batch of H145s for the UK Royal Air Force is inching closer.
London in April ordered six examples – designated the Jupiter HC2 – for operation in Brunei and Cyprus as replacements for the Puma HC2s currently performing the roles.
Airbus Helicopters recently indicated the first delivery was imminent and on 26 September the initial H145 appeared on the UK civil register where it is listed as G-CMXA. At present, Airbus Helicopters UK is the registered owner.
An image of the complete aircraft appeared on the German helicopter enthusiast site Helionline around a week earlier, with the H145 captured during tests outside.
