Airbus H145 (c/n 20221, D-HNHX), static display at Sanicole Sunset (part of the 44th Sanicole International Airshow), Hechtel-Eksel, September 2024.
In February of 1977, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. and Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB) signed an agreement to jointly develop a twin-engine, multipurpose rotorcraft. The first helicopter built by the newly established consortium was designated BK 117 and performed its maiden flight in 1979. Three years later, the rotorcraft received its certificate of airworthiness and was officially introduced into operational service.
In the middle of the 1990s, the consortium, now consisting of Kawasaki and Eurocopter, as the MBB successor, began with development of upgraded variant of the helicopter, designated BK 117 C2. Initially, the new aircraft was created by merge of the rear section of the BK 117 with cockpit of Eurocopter EC135. However, the final design included several modifications and improvements. Therefore, it was decided to change its designation to EC145 (although Kawasaki still marketed the rotorcraft in Asia as the BK 177 C2).
On 12th June 1999, the EC145 performed its maiden flight. In 2002, the helicopter was delivered to the first customers in France and Germany. Over the next few years, the EC145 (and its military variant, designated EC645) became a popular light utility rotorcraft of the armed forces, law enforcement agencies and governmental services all over the world. Among its customers there were the Albanian Air Force, the Australian police forces, public security and fire departments in Brazil, the Cyprus National Guard, the French Gendarmerie and the civil guard, the German Army Aviation, the border police in Georgia, the Hungarian Air Force, police forces in Peru and the United Kingdom, the Serbian Air Force and Rega air rescue service in Switzerland.
In 2014, when the Eurocopter company became part of Airbus Helicopters, the civilian and military variants of the rotorcraft were designated to H145 and H145M, respectively.
According to the official website of Airbus Helicopters, more than 1,860 examples of the helicopter were delivered to 330 customers until today, with 1,617 rotorcraft remaining in operational service. The fleet of EC145/H145 helicopters achieved a total of 7.5 million accumulated flight hours.
The H145 rotorcraft featured within our Photo of the Week series was manufactured in 2018. For a few years the helicopter was owned by NHV Helicopter services in Belgium but was contracted to provide services for the German armed forces.
That contract expired at the end of 2024 and then the rotorcraft was acquired by Nederlands Loodswezen BV, a company that provides pilotage services for ships arriving to Dutch harbours.
In September of 2024, that H145 was showcased at Sanicole International Airshow static display, with regards to the recently announced information about the Belgian procurement of seventeen helicopters of that type for the country´s armed and police forces (more information about the purchase can be found in our article from June of 2024 – Belgium to buy Airbus H145M helicopters for the armed and police forces).
