The Ministry of Defence has awarded a two-year £33.6 million support and services contract to Airbus Helicopters UK for the initial maintenance and support of six H145 helicopters entering service with the UK Armed Forces.
The contract, awarded by Defence Equipment & Support, covers the upkeep of the aircraft, known in UK service as Jupiter HC2, which were ordered under a £122 million procurement agreement signed just over 18 months ago. The helicopters will be operated by RAF 84 Squadron in Cyprus and 667 Squadron of the Army Air Corps in Brunei.
In Cyprus, the aircraft will support emergency response and aerial firefighting missions, while in Brunei they will be used primarily for jungle training. The contract is expected to support around 30 jobs, with 12 roles based at Airbus in Oxford, 10 in Cyprus and eight in Brunei.
Two of the six helicopters were formally handed over to the Ministry of Defence last week, bringing the total delivered so far to three. The first aircraft was transferred in May this year. Initial flying to qualify and train instructors is due to begin in the UK in the coming days, ahead of the first aircraft being shipped to Brunei in February and Cyprus in March. All six aircraft are expected to be in theatre by the end of June 2026.
Defence Minister Luke Pollard said the contract would ensure the Army and RAF remain equipped to meet operational demands. “This contract with Airbus in the UK will ensure the British Army and Royal Air Force continue to be equipped with cutting-edge Jupiter helicopters to deploy on operations, keeping the UK secure at home and strong abroad,” he said.
Mark Langrill, Director Rotary Wing and Uncrewed Air Systems at DE&S, said Airbus remained on track to meet demanding timelines. “This contract will further strengthen our support to UK Armed Forces… delivering the six new H145 aircraft and the associated support, in line with our very tight timeline of two years from contract signature to deployment,” he said.
All six aircraft will undergo modification work at Airbus Helicopters UK under the original procurement agreement. Once operational, the Jupiter HC2 fleet will replace capabilities previously provided by the retired Puma HC2 helicopters.
Group Captain James Brooks, Senior Responsible Owner for Jupiter HC2, said the programme had progressed at pace. “Delivering the first aircraft in under two years to fill critical capability gaps is a testament to the collaboration between the UK Armed Forces, DE&S and Airbus Helicopters UK,” he said.
The H145 helicopters measure 13.64 metres in length and have a maximum take-off weight of 3,800kg, making them suited to the range of roles they will undertake overseas.
Airbus Helicopters UK Managing Director Richard Atack said the company had worked to meet demanding delivery targets. “We have worked hard to deliver on quality, cost and time against a very challenging timeline to ensure UK overseas commitments are fully supported,” he said.
That flag looks wrong.
After having a good look, It seems what they are going for is making it look like it is hoisted from the front of the helicopter and the pole is pulled foreward of the flag. Still looks odd though.
And the Puma was only there due to the withdrawl of the previous Griffon of 84 Sqn and the Bells of 7 Flight AAC.
So Puma, Bell, Griffin all cut, so far replaced by 6 HC145.
This purchase at least seems sensible, as a new FMH would in my view be overkill for these non deployable roles.
And in light of the earlier reports of withdrawl and reduction of training anywhere except NATO, that clearly doesn’t seem to apply to the longstanding Brunei commitment, as otherwise why use sparse helicopters there.
The answer is that the British Army Jungle Warfare School, and by extension SF training, need them.
More widely in the AAC, inevitably 5 AAC has given up the ghost, withdrawn from Aldergrove, and now has a ground supporting role as it has no assets left.