H145M light combat helicopters ordered by Germany from Airbus

News

December 16, 2025

DONAUWÖRTH, Germany. Germany exercised an option for 20 additional H145M light combat helicopters--known as Leichter Kampfhubschrauber (LKH)--bringing its total order to 82 aircraft, Airbus announced in a statement.

Airbus says the option was included in a contract signed in December 2023, and that the first H145M LKH was delivered in November 2024, with additional aircraft delivered since then. The company says the fleet is intended to support missions including training, reconnaissance, special forces operations, and light attack, with the German Army to receive 72 helicopters and the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) special forces to receive 10.

The company says the H145M can be reconfigured between mission kits, including a light-attack configuration with ballistic and guided weapons and a self-protection system, and a special-operations configuration with fast rappelling equipment. Airbus says additional mission packages include hoisting and external cargo capability.

Airbus says the H145M is powered by two Safran Arriel 2E engines with full authority digital engine control (FADEC) and includes the Helionix digital avionics suite with a 4-axis autopilot.