The qualities of the H145M, chosen to be the main helicopter of the Spanish Army

The Spanish Army's Airmobile Forces (FAMET) are undergoing a profound renewal of their aircraft.

The BHELA I and the EC-665 Tiger HAD-E attack helicopters of the Spanish Army
Spain buys 100 military helicopters from Airbus, including 50 H145Ms for the FAMET

On December 18, Airbus confirmed Spain's purchase of 100 military helicopters from the European company. This is the largest purchase of rotary-wing aircraft in the country's history. The order will include aircraft for all three branches of the Armed Forces, with the Army being the largest recipient of the various models included in this enormous batch.

Once deliveries are completed, taking into account the retirement of the AB-212s, AS-332 Super Pumas and AS-532 Cougars in the coming years, and unless there are further unannounced changes, the future FAMET fleet would consist of 140 helicopters:

• 16 light helicopters Airbus Helicopters H135.
• 18 heavy helicopters Boeing CH-47F Chinook.
• 18 attack helicopters Eurocopter EC-665 Tigre HAD-E.
• 38 middle transport helicopters NHIndustries NH90.
• 50 light multipurpose helicopters Airbus Helicopters H145M.

As we can see, the H145M will be the main helicopter of the FAMET, becoming a worthy successor to an excellent multi-purpose helicopter operated years ago by the Spanish Army: the German MBB Bö-105. In fact, the H145M is an evolution of the MBB/Kawasaki BK 117, the replacement for the Bö-105. The H145M is based on a civilian model, the H145, which is currently Airbus's best-selling helicopter.

Civilian customers of this helicopter give us an indication of its versatility. Just as with the Bö-105, the H145 is proving successful with police, border and coast guard forces in various countries (it already has a total of 39 operators in this field), as well as in rescue and ambulance services.

The H145M, the military version, has already been selected by 14 countries for their armed forces, including the United States, its largest operator, where this model has received an order for 479 units for the Army, designated UH-72A Lakota, in addition to 5 units for the Navy. In Europe, the largest customer for the H145M is Germany, which has ordered 106 units for its Armed Forces (80 for the Army and 26 for the Air Force). With this order, Spain is now the third largest buyer of this military helicopter.

It's understandable that this aircraft is a sales success. The H145M can be used for various missions: military pilot training, medical evacuation, special operations, and light attack, among others. Thanks to Airbus's HForce system, the H145M can be converted into an armed helicopter with air-to-surface missiles, 68mm and 70mm rockets, a 20mm cannon, and 12.7mm machine guns, in addition to air-to-air weaponry.

Furthermore, the H145M can be fitted with machine guns for ground support on its side doors, thanks to spigot mounts. As we recently saw, the FAMET's 1st Attack Helicopter Battalion (BHELA I), which operates EC-665 Tiger HAD-E attack helicopters, will be reinforced with the new H145Ms in light attack missions and also in the transport of ground personnel.

One of the standout features of the H145M is that it is one of the quietest helicopters on the market, thanks to its four-bladed rotor design and its two 894 hp Turbomeca Arriel 2E engines, which also have other additional advantages, such as easy maintenance, high power and low consumption, offering a maximum speed of 268 km/h, a range of 650 km, a service ceiling of 20,000 feet (6,096 meters), a very good climb rate of 8.1 meters per second and excellent performance in high temperature and altitude conditions. These characteristics, especially their silent nature and affiliation, led Germany to dedicate the Luftwaffe's 26 H145Ms to support missions for the Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK), the special forces of the German Army.

Like other current models, the H145M is equipped with a glass cockpit featuring digital displays compatible with night vision goggles, enabling this helicopter to perform missions at night or in very poor visibility conditions. Furthermore, the H145M is equipped with VMF data links (a format primarily used by ground military units) and Link 16 (also used by air and naval military platforms), which contributes to improved situational awareness for the aircraft's crews on the battlefield.

The H145M can transport up to 10 fully equipped soldiers (half the capacity of a larger NH90), in addition to its two pilots. As with other Airbus models, access to the troop compartment is via two sliding side doors, and there are also two rear doors that allow for the loading of a stretcher during medical evacuation missions. For rescue missions, a crane can be installed on one of the side doors. Furthermore, the helicopter is equipped with a cargo hook on its underside that can lift up to 1,600 kg using slings.

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Photos: Airbus.