The UK Ministry of Defence has ordered a further six H-145 helicopters as the next step in renewing its rotary fleet and cutting the number of different types in service.
 
 The new aircraft will be deployed to Cyprus primarily for emergency response duties and to Brunei to support UK military training in jungle warfare and will replace "Pumas" currently performing those roles.
 
The new helicopters will be delivered next year and will serve in parallel with 29 H-135s and seven H-145s in the Defence Helicopter Flying School which trains all UK military pilots as part of MFTS at RAF Shawbury. The enlarged H-145 fleet brings economies of support costs and substantially reduces pilot conversion training time.
 
 The latest version of Airbus’ best-selling adds an innovative five-bladed rotor to the multi-mission H-145, increasing the useful load of the helicopter by 150 kg. The simplicity of the new bearingless main rotor design eases maintenance operations, improves serviceability and reliability, and enhances flight comfort for both passengers and crew.
 
 Worldwide there are more than 1,675 H-145 family helicopters in service, with a total of more than 7.6 million flight hours. Powered by two Safran Arriel 2E engines, the model is equipped with a Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) and the Helionix digital avionics suite. It includes a high performance 4-axis autopilot, increasing safety and reducing pilot workload. Its particularly low acoustic footprint makes it the quietest helicopter in its class, while its CO2 emissions are low.
 
The Helionix avionics generate significant savings in pilot training due to commonality between different Airbus types including the H-135 and H-175M.