UK military to acquire six H145s

Five-bladed Airbus H145

The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) has published a transparency notice stating its intention to acquire six Airbus H145s for use in Cyprus and Brunei

The rotorcraft will be acquired under a £140 million (US$172 million) contract that also includes three years of support, and will be delivered in 2024.

In Cyprus, the H145s will be used for search and rescue (SAR) and support duties by Royal Air Force (RAF) 84 Squadron, based at RAF Akrotiri. They will replace the Airbus Puma HC2s that have been serving in the role on an interim basis since the retirement of the squadron’s Bell 412s.

In Brunei, the aircraft will replace a separate fleet of Pumas that are currently being used to support the British Army’s training mission there.

RAF 84 Squadron celebrated its 50th anniversary of operations at RAF Akrotiri last year.