Last week, Airbus officially announced that the company had been awarded an order for one hundred military rotorcraft by the Spanish Ministry of Defence. The helicopters will be acquired under four separate contracts signed between Airbus and Dirección General de Armamento y Material (DGAM – the Directorate General for Armament and Material).
According to the company’s official press release, Spain’s largest single helicopter procurement includes:
– thirteen H135 helicopters – twelve for Ejército del Aire y del Espacio (the Spanish Air and Space Force) and one for Armada (the Spanish Navy);
– fifty H145M helicopters for Fuerzas Aeromóviles del Ejército de Tierra (FAMET – the Army Airmobile Force);
– six H175M helicopters for the Spanish Air and Space Force;
– thirty-one NH90 helicopters – thirteen for FAMET, twelve for the Spanish Air and Space Force and six for the Navy.
The procurement will be carried out under the National Helicopter Plan, announced by the Spanish military authorities in May 2025, and is intended to boost the modernisation of the country’s defence capabilities and security assets.
“By formalising these contracts, the Ministry of Defence fulfils its commitment to provide our Armed Forces with the latest generation of helicopters essential for their operations,” – stated María Amparo Valcarce García, the Spanish Secretary of State for Defence. “This investment is strategic and focused on significantly increasing Spain’s security and defence capabilities, while ensuring national strategic autonomy in a key sector of European defence.”
According to Airbus, the order will have a strong positive impact on the Albacete region, home to the Spanish branch of Airbus Helicopters. The company estimates that more than 300 highly qualified positions will be created in Albacete over the next three years. In addition, Airbus plans to establish a new military helicopter customisation centre there, as well as an international training centre for H145M pilots and technicians.
In parallel, Airbus Helicopters aims to develop its Albacete site into a Centre of Expertise for digital capabilities, in cooperation with the University of Albacete and the Castilla-La Mancha Science and Technology Park.
Currently, Ejército del Aire y del Espacio operates seven NH90 TTH rotorcraft (locally designated HD.29 Lobo), eleven H135 and fifteen H120 helicopters. The Spanish Army has seventeen EC665 Tiger attack helicopters, fourteen NH90 TTH and twelve H135 training helicopters in its inventory. The Spanish naval aviation operates two NH90 NFH and seven H135 helicopters.
Other Airbus-manufactured aircraft operated by the Spanish Armed Forces include fourteen A400M Atlas airlifters (with thirteen more on order), two A330 Multi-Role Transport Tanker aircraft (with one more on order) and one A300 transport aircraft. Spain has also ordered sixteen Airbus C295 aircraft in the maritime patrol and surveillance configuration.
Information and quotation from the Airbus company press releases were used.
