The Irish Defence Forces are set to bolster their aerial capabilities with the acquisition of four Airbus H145M helicopters.  

Airbus Helicopters UK has secured the contract for these helicopters, valued at €91.7m ($94.69m) excluding VAT, with deliveries expected to commence in the first quarter of 2027.  

These new assets, procured to replace the ageing EC-135 fleet, will serve multiple roles, including pilot training, Defence Forces operations, and supporting the Garda Air Support Unit.  

Ireland Department of Defence (DoD) has also initiated plans for the development of Casement Aerodrome, commissioning a masterplan to outline the airside infrastructure needs for the next two decades.  

Budget 2025 has also allocated an additional €8m to sustain Air Corps fleet maintenance, airfield, and training expenses in the coming year. 

Minister for Defence Micheál Martin said: “These helicopters will not only significantly boost the capacity of the defence forces pilot training programmes, but also enhance intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and light combat capabilities of our Air Corps. This investment is further evidence of the government’s commitment to enhancing our Air Corps, illustrated by the delivery of two C295 maritime patrol aircraft over the last eighteen months, and the expected delivery of a C295 military transport aircraft next year. 

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“These significant additions to the Air Corps’ capability will also be complemented by the acquisition of the new Falcon 6X multi-purpose strategic reach aircraft, the contract for which was signed earlier this month.” 

The introduction of the H145Ms marks an upgrade in light-utility helicopter capabilities, with the new models equipped for a variety of missions. 

These include maritime security, utility tasks, intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR), and light attack operations.  

Enhanced features including electro-optical and thermal imagery will augment the defence forces’ ISTAR capabilities.  

The operational support for the Army Ranger Wing and broader Defence Forces will also see improvement. 

This comes after Indonesian Air Force recently added four Airbus H145 helicopters to its fleet as part of its military training modernisation efforts.