Airbus to offer H135 for U.S. Navy helicopter trainer replacement
GRAND PRAIRIE, TX. Airbus Helicopters Inc. will offer the Airbus H135 helicopter as the solution for the U.S. Navy’s planned helicopter trainer replacement program. An H135 demonstrator aircraft in Navy trainer markings is on display this week at the 2018 Naval Helicopter Association Symposium in Norfolk, Va.
"The H135 is a market leading twin-engine, multi-mission helicopter performing the primary training mission for some of the finest militaries in the world," said Chris Emerson, President of Airbus Helicopters Inc. and Head of the North America Region.
Airbus Helicopters is the global leader in rotorcraft technology, offering a full range of modern and affordable training helicopters that have been proven in the U.S. and around the globe. The U.S. Army operates Airbus Helicopters' twin-engine UH-72A Lakota as its initial entry rotary wing trainer at Fort Rucker, Ala.
"When paired with Airbus unrivaled support for the lifetime of the airframe, the H135 is the right solution both technically and economically for the U.S. Navy,” Emerson said. “As a twin-engine helicopter, the H135 provides a training environment most similar to the Navy’s warfighting rotorcraft fleet, creating opportunities for cost and operational synergies compared to a single engine trainer."
The H135 is the rotorcraft of choice for military pilot training due to its maneuverability, high visibility, and low vibration levels. The aircraft is equipped with the most advanced technologies available, providing instructor pilots with an ideal platform for training missions for the U.S. Navy.
One of the safest aircraft in its class, the H135 is fitted with a Glass Cockpit, a crash-resistant fuel system, energy absorbing seats, fuselage and landing gear. The H135 has a proven record of unrivaled operational costs as result of continuous technological improvements. The H135 is the preeminent military training helicopter in the world, currently providing pilot training for military pilots in over 13 countries around the world.
Easily recognized by its trademarked Fenestron® tail rotor system, the H135 combines Airbus Helicopters Helionix® technologies, including an advanced cockpit with one of the most modern Human Machine Interface (HMI) available in this light multi-purpose helicopter class.
With an accumulation of more than 4.5 million flight hours, the H135’s operational training readiness has consistently averaged greater than 90 percent further highlighting the platform’s viability for U.S. Navy pilot training.
Airbus Helicopters Inc. is the leading provider of civil and commercial helicopters in the U.S. The company is based in Grand Prairie, Texas where it operates helicopter completion, paint, and MRO facilities, performs flight test and engineering support, and flight and maintenance training for customers. The Columbus, Miss. plant, with a workforce consisting of more than 40 percent U.S. military veterans, produces UH-72A Lakota helicopters for the U.S. Army and the H125 for the civil market.
About Airbus
Airbus is a global leader in aeronautics, space and related services. In 2017 it generated revenues of € 67 billion and employed a workforce of around 129,000. Airbus offers the most comprehensive range of passenger airliners from 100 to more than 600 seats. Airbus is also a European leader providing tanker, combat, transport and mission aircraft, as well as one of the world’s leading space companies. In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions worldwide.
