TSAMTO, December 10. According to the command of the Hungarian Armed Forces, on December 3, the last (out of 20 ordered in 2018) light multipurpose helicopter H-145M landed at the 86th helicopter base "Szolnok".
The helicopter performed a flight from the Airbus Helicopters company in Donauvert. The commander of the Hungarian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Romulus Rusin-Sandy, took part in the welcoming ceremony of the rotorcraft.
After completion of the acceptance procedures, the helicopter with the temporary German registration number D-HADO will be put into service under the number "05".
As reported by TSAMTO, in June 2018, Airbus Helicopters signed a contract with the Hungarian Ministry of Defense for the supply of 20 H-145M helicopters in a military version equipped with an innovative modular universal weapon system HForce. The purchase is carried out within the framework of the armed forces modernization program Zrinyi-2026. In addition to the supply of helicopters, Airbus will provide maintenance of equipment and training of personnel (50 pilots and 60 technical specialists). The sale price was not disclosed.
The first pair of helicopters arrived at the Solnok Airbase on November 18, 2019. A total of four cars were delivered in 2019. In 2020, 12 helicopters were delivered, and four more in 2021. The penultimate car (ZN 20286) was handed over to the customer in November 2021.
The H145M is a military version of the twin-engine civilian H-145, which has been in operation since 2014. The H-145M can be used for a wide range of tasks, including troop and cargo transportation, surveillance, search and rescue operations, armed reconnaissance and medical evacuation. The helicopter can be operated at any time of the day and in difficult meteorological conditions. The H-145M can be airlifted aboard a BTA A-400M aircraft.
As reported, the Hungarian Armed Forces helicopters are delivered in three versions: a combat version equipped with weapons, a search and rescue version and a special transport version. Helicopters for the Hungarian Armed Forces are equipped with a rope landing system, high-performance cameras for reconnaissance, providing Ultra HD video data day and night, weapons for fire support, ballistic protection, as well as an electronic countermeasures system to increase the level of crew safety and survivability when used in combat operations.
The first fire tests of the 20-mm cannon installed on board the helicopter were carried out in September 2021. The first test launches of missiles are scheduled for 2022.
At the moment, the flight time of the H-145M of the Hungarian Armed Forces is about 5200 hours.
It is expected that in 2023, Airbus Helicopters will begin supplying the Hungarian Armed Forces with new H-225M transport helicopters ordered in 2018.
