Paris. The Dutch Ministry of Defence has awarded a contract to Airbus Helicopters for 12 H225Ms. The contract also includes an initial batch of support and services. The agreement was signed by Vice-Admiral Jan Willem Hartman, Head of the Netherlands Command Materiel and IT (COMMIT) agency, and Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters during the Euronaval trade show in Paris.
“We are very proud to see the Royal Netherlands Air Force and COMMIT renewing their trust in Airbus Helicopters. The H225M was selected by the Netherlands in June 2023 after a call for tender and an exhaustive evaluation, after which the Airbus helicopter was considered the best option for the very demanding special forces operations,” said Bruno Even, Airbus Helicopters CEO. “The proven H225M is unmatched in terms of performance, versatility and range. It can carry extensive mission equipment that can be tailored to each customer’s needs and will be serving its customer’s requirements for the decades to come,” he added.
The RNLAF currently operates Cougars from the H215M family. The H225Ms will be operated by the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) 300 Special Operations Squadron. Airbus Helicopters and the RNLAF will work closely together on the development of the H225M adapted to the requirements of the users, enhancing capabilities and efficiency for special operations missions success, through tactical communication and a unique design of interaction of the aircraft and its systems.
The H225M has proven its reliability and durability in combat conditions and crisis areas. Benefiting from Airbus’ continuous improvement policy, the H225M is now equipped with new avionics, an enhanced main gear box, airborne communication systems and can be equipped with the HForce weapon system. The maximum take off weight has been increased by 160 kg to reach 11,160 kg.
There are more than 350 H225s and H225Ms in service around the world, totaling more than 880,000 flight hours. Military customers include France, Malaysia, Indonesia, Iraq, Thailand, Singapore, Mexico, Kuwait, Brazil, and Hungary.
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