Airbus Helicopters has delivered the first of nine planned H145Ms to the Serbian Air Force and the Serbian Ministry of Interior, the company said Nov. 26.
Serbian Minister of Defence Aleksandar Vulin visited the Airbus Helicopters Donauwörth site in Germany to accept the first H145M, Airbus said. Four of the Serbian Air Force H145Ms will have the Airbus HForce weapon management system, according to the company.
Airbus said that it drew on its experience with the Tiger attack helicopter in developing HForce for the H125M, H145M and H225M and that HForce “offers a large array of [ballistic or guided air-to-ground and air-to-air] weapons, modern and easy target acquisition and high targeting accuracy, formerly reserved for high-end attack helicopters.”
Wolfgang Schoder, CEO of Airbus Helicopters Germany, said that Airbus began negotiations with Serbia for the H145M buy in 2016 and that Airbus sees “a lot more opportunities for the H145M in Europe and beyond.”
Airbus is also to certify Serbia’s Moma Stanojlovic aeronautical plant as a center for the maintenance of Gazelle helicopters and will include the plant in its overhaul network.
The Serbian H145Ms will have a fast roping system, high-performance camera, fire support equipment, ballistic protection and an electronic countermeasures system.
The German Armed Forces was the first to receive the twin-engine H145M in 2015, and, since then, Hungary, Thailand, Luxembourg and Serbia have ordered the rotorcraft, which has a mission readiness rate above 95 percent, Airbus said.
Powered by two Safran Arriel 2E engines, the H145M has full authority digital engine control (FADEC) and the Helionix digital avionics suite.