Germany has exercised an option to acquire 20 additional Airbus H145M light combat helicopters, bringing the total number of aircraft ordered under its framework agreement with Airbus Helicopters to 82 units.
The decision was confirmed by Airbus on December 15, 2025, and follows a contract signed in December 2023, which covered up to 82 helicopters for the Bundeswehr. Germany had previously committed to 62 aircraft, with deliveries beginning in November 2024.
Airbus Helicopters Germany Managing Director Stefan Thomé described the additional order as a “strong vote of confidence” in the helicopter’s performance and versatility.
The H145M is designated as the Leichter Kampfhubschrauber (LKH), or Light Combat Helicopter, in German service. It is intended to replace several legacy light helicopter types across the armed forces. Of the total fleet, 72 helicopters are allocated to the German Army, while 10 will be operated by the Luftwaffe, primarily in support of special forces missions.
A multi-role light combat platform
The H145M is a twin-engine military helicopter designed for a wide range of missions, including training, reconnaissance, special operations support, and light attack. It can be rapidly reconfigured between roles and integrated with ballistic or guided weapons, as well as external cargo, hoisting, and insertion equipment.
The aircraft is equipped with Airbus’ Helionix avionics suite, which is common across several Airbus helicopter platforms and is designed to reduce pilot workload while improving mission flexibility. The H145M is already in service with several European armed forces and has been increasingly positioned as a modern light combat and utility platform.
A related variant of the same design is also in service in the US, where the Airbus H145 is operated by the US Army as the UH-72 Lakota. Unlike the H145M, the Lakota is used primarily as a training and domestic support helicopter, not as a combat aircraft. The US Army is now examining options to replace it in the training role, arguing that Lakota’s automation level leaves student pilots with less experience in basic helicopter handling, including responding to tail rotor failures.
Part of Germany’s broader defense modernization
Airbus did not disclose the value of the additional 20-aircraft order. However, earlier reporting valued the deal at nearly €1 billion ($1.1 billion) and linked the expansion of Germany’s H145M fleet to funding from the country’s special defense modernization fund launched under the Zeitenwende policy framework.
The helicopter acquisition forms part of a broader effort to improve Bundeswehr readiness and replace aging equipment, alongside other major procurement programs in the rotary-wing, air defense, and missile domains.
With the latest option exercised, Germany becomes one of the largest operators of the H145M globally, reinforcing the platform’s role as a core element of the Bundeswehr’s future light helicopter fleet.
source
