Airbus Helicopters U.K. says it expects a military variant of its popular H175 to be an ideal candidate for the emerging U.K. New Medium Helicopter (NMH) requirement.
The process to replace the Royal Air Force’s fleet of Puma HC2s and up to three other types by 2025 has yet to be formally launched, although it is expected to facilitate a rationalization within the U.K. Ministry of Defence’s (MoD’s) rotary-wing fleets. The U.K. Integrated Review’s Defence Command Paper, issued by the MoD on March 22, 2021, laid out plans for a new medium-lift helicopter in the mid-2020s that will enable a consolidation of the disparate fleet of medium-lift helicopters from four platform types to one — with the central pillar being the replacement of the Puma.
As of yet there have been no specifications issued by the U.K. MoD, and Airbus told Vertical that it is possible that an alternative model from its military range could be appropriate, but right now the H175M appears the most suitable. In service since 2015, the commercial H175 is currently operating in a number of roles including search-and-rescue and law enforcement. Airbus has a strong track record of developing types in both civilian and military versions, such as the H145 light twin helicopter. It said the 8-tonne-class military H175M could readily be offered with a typical array of military equipment, with a baseline capability to accommodate 12 troop seats.
The company acknowledged that the civil H175 includes significant Chinese manufacturing input, but it has now built an H175 airframe fully in Europe. The company said it has been produced entirely free of any elements sourced from China as the result of a project that has been under way for the past five years capitalizing on European aerostructures capability. Airbus Helicopters said this specific example could be the first H175M to be delivered to the U.K. Ministry of Defence if selected.
Leonardo Helicopters has already said it intends to offer its AW149 for the NMH requirement, and a competition could see the two rotary-wing manufacturers going head-to-head, although in recent times the U.K. has often opted for a sole-source acquisition based on a specific set of requirements and capabilities. Meanwhile, Bell told Vertical: “Our teams are in constant contact with the U.K. acquisition authority as the United Kingdom continues to define their New Medium Helicopter (NMH) requirements. Bell remains committed to providing the right solution based on those requirements and we are certain our aircraft offer the most capable and versatile performance options.”
Bell added that its medium 412EPX is an ideal aircraft with “superior payload and range performance.” The Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk, built in Poland, is a popular option within military circles and is another potential candidate to be offered for NMH.
In keeping with the British Government’s prosperity agenda, Airbus Helicopters U.K. said it would establish a final assembly line for the H175M in the U.K., if it was selected for the NMH requirement, and that it would also export this model globally from the U.K. The company — which has already secured extensive ties with the MoD through its support for the Military Flying Training System and H135 Juno and H145 Jupiter at RAF Shawbury — is clearly hoping for the chance to enter into a competition for the NMH requirement.
Airbus Helicopters in the U.K. managing director Colin James told Vertical: “Contrary to the misleading implications from our competitor, the H175M is, as you can see, most certainly not a ‘paper aircraft.’ We have built the first airframe using a supply base completely compliant with Western military requirements and we have identified multiple supplier sources who can provide the last two components of the complete helicopter which need to be replaced.
“The H175M is an advanced, high-performing helicopter fully capable of fulfilling the U.K.’s NMH needs and of becoming a sustainable U.K. export product with the potential to resurrect the capacity and capability of the country’s helicopter industry. The civil variant is by far the most capable super medium aircraft on the market, with 26 aircraft already in daily North Sea operations off the coast of the U.K.”
