Weapons of Ukrainian Victory: Airbus Helicopters H145

At the beginning of September, photos appeared online showing a newly manufactured H145 helicopter bearing the markings of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. The aircraft was captured shortly after leaving the production line, which provides a reason to take a closer, technical look at this helicopter and its characteristics.

History

In the late 1970s, the German company Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm and the Japanese corporation Kawasaki began a joint development program to create a light, twin-engine multi-purpose helicopter designated BK117. The aircraft found steady market demand: by 2004, a total of 443 BK117 helicopters had been produced, including 331 units in Germany and 112 in Japan. However, by the end of the 20th century, the original design required modernization.

Building on the operational and commercial experience of the BK117, European and Japanese manufacturers agreed to continue their cooperation. On the Japanese side, Kawasaki remained the partner, while on the European side the successor to Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm – Eurocopter (renamed Airbus Helicopters in 2014) – took over the role. The aircraft’s commercial designation also evolved: it was initially marketed as the EC145 and, from 2014, as the H145.

One of the main differences of the helicopter is its redesigned fuselage. The nose section was reengineered, resulting in reduced aerodynamic drag and improved visibility from the crew stations. The cabin was also enlarged, becoming 46 cm longer and 13 cm wider. The maximum payload increased by 200 kg, from 1,590 kg to 1,790 kg. Other updates included a main rotor with an optimized blade profile and updated onboard avionics.

An important feature of the BK117 family was retained, which distinguishes this aircraft from other light-class helicopters: the elevated tail boom. This configuration allows the cabin to be accessed not only through standard side doors but also through rear clamshell doors. This significantly simplifies the loading of stretchers with injured or critically ill patients and makes the helicopter particularly suitable for aeromedical evacuation roles.

The prototype performed its first flight on 12 June 1999. The helicopter was certified in Germany and Japan in 2000, and in the United States in 2002. To date, more than 1,700 helicopters of this family have been produced.

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Main Variants

The basic EC145 variant (BK117 C-2) was equipped with Turbomeca Arriel 1E2 engines, each rated at 738 horsepower. Its successor, the EC145e (BK117 C-2e), introduced updated digital avionics supplied by Garmin.

In 2014, the BK117 D-2 variant was certified. This version replaced the conventional tail rotor with a fenestron-type shrouded tail rotor. It also received a more powerful powerplant, using Arriel 2E engines rated at 1,039 horsepower.

In 2021, production began of the improved BK117 D-3 variant, which introduced a five-blade main rotor instead of the previous four-blade design. The payload capacity of this version was increased by 150 kg. Both the BK117 D-2 and BK117 D-3 are marketed under the same commercial designation: H145.

In Military and Police Service

The EC145/H145 helicopter has been widely adopted by law enforcement and security agencies in multiple countries. The first customer was the French civil defense service, which acquired 31 EC145 helicopters for search and rescue missions. In a similar role, the aircraft is also operated in Switzerland, Germany, and several other countries. The EC145/H145 is used by the gendarmerie in Morocco, the border guard service of Lithuania, and national police services in Peru, Namibia, Brazil, and other states.

The first military operators of the EC145 were Albania, Bolivia, and Kazakhstan, which received minimally modified civilian versions of the aircraft. A militarized version, the H145M, was later developed. This variant includes self-sealing (protected) fuel tanks, Kevlar armor, military-grade radio systems, and provisions for mounting weapons. The H145M has been procured by Germany, Serbia, Hungary, Belgium, and several other countries.

For the H145M, Airbus Helicopters developed the HForce weapon system. This system includes an electro-optical surveillance and targeting unit, a helmet-mounted sight, a fire control computer, and external hardpoints. In this configuration, the helicopter can carry 70 mm rocket launchers (both unguided and laser-guided) as well as machine guns mounted in external pods.

Although the EC145 was originally designed as a purely civilian aircraft, its largest customer ultimately became the United States Army. In 2004, the U.S. Army announced a competition for a light utility helicopter intended for domestic operations within National Guard units. The goal was to reduce the operational burden on the UH-60 fleet by assigning non-combat and support tasks to a lighter platform and freeing UH-60 helicopters for overseas combat missions. To reduce costs, the program required selecting an existing civilian helicopter adapted to military standards. In 2006, the EC145 was selected as the winner and entered service under the designation UH-72A Lakota.

Production was organized in the United States, in the city of Columbus. On 11 December 2006, the first UH-72A was delivered to the U.S. Army there. Helicopters of this type are used for national security support missions, disaster relief operations, and other tasks not directly related to battlefield combat.

In addition to the flight crew, the helicopter can carry up to nine soldiers or two wounded personnel on stretchers along with several accompanying medics. Installation of fixed weapon systems on the UH-72A is not предусмотрено, but for law enforcement support missions – such as counter-narcotics operations, border patrol, and counter-terrorism tasks – the aircraft can be equipped with night vision cameras, a searchlight, a loudspeaker, and other specialized equipment. Since 2018, UH-72A helicopters have also been operated outside the United States. Several aircraft are used for medical evacuation duties at training ranges in Germany.

At present, the U.S. armed forces operate nearly five hundred Lakota helicopters.

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In Ukraine

The first operator of helicopters from the EC145/H145 family in Ukraine was the Special Aviation Detachment of the State Emergency Service (SES). In 2009, two EC145 helicopters (BK117 C-2) were acquired and configured for search and rescue missions. These aircraft were equipped with rescue hoists and the necessary medical equipment. The helicopters with factory serial numbers 9266 and 9306 received the tail numbers 42 and 43 (in red) within the Special Aviation Detachment.

The next batch of H145 helicopters in Ukraine arrived after more than ten years. Their procurement was linked to a large-scale contract signed on 14 July 2018 for the acquisition of helicopters for various structures under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. The contract included the delivery of 55 helicopters across three types for all aviation units of the ministry.

The State Border Guard Service was to receive 24 light, single-engine H125 helicopters intended for patrol duties. The National Police ordered ten H145 helicopters for both patrol and medical evacuation tasks. Finally, the State Emergency Service and the National Guard were to share 21 medium transport H225 helicopters.

The National Police received their first two H145 helicopters (factory numbers 20331 and 20346) in October 2020. These were BK117 D-2 variants, equipped with a four-blade main rotor. Production of this variant was soon discontinued, and the remaining eight helicopters (delivered by December 2021) were built as BK117 D-3 models. The police H145 helicopters were assigned blue tail numbers ranging from “01” to “10.” Their primary base was the Kaniv heliport in the Cherkasy region, originally constructed in preparation for the final stage of the UEFA Euro 2012 football championship. H145 helicopters were also deployed in other regions of Ukraine. For example, from April 2021, a helicopter (initially operated by the State Emergency Service and later by the police) was stationed at the Yagellon airfield near Horodok, Lviv region.

The H145 helicopters performed tasks including aeromedical evacuation from accident sites and emergency transport of patients to specialized clinics. Between early April and early November 2021, the helicopter based in Lviv transported 35 patients.

After the start of the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, H145 helicopters have been used for the evacuation of wounded personnel. Details of these operations have not been publicly disclosed. However, the operational experience with the H145 appears to have been positive. This likely contributed to the signing of an additional agreement with Airbus Helicopters on 30 August 2024, which replaced the order for five yet-to-be-delivered H225 helicopters with the same number of H145s. This new batch is expected to be delivered to the State Border Guard Service aviation units. The helicopter with the blue tail number “72” is likely the second aircraft from this batch.

Main specifications of the H145 (BK-117D-3) helicopter

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