BERLIN — In June of 2013, the German Army ordered from Airbus Helicopters 15 new multirole helicopters for its KSK Special Forces Command. Last week, representatives from the German military watched as the EC645 T2 successfully completed its first flight at the company’s facility in Donauwörth, Bavaria.
“This first flight is a milestone in the EC645 T2 program and we’re thrilled to be able to celebrate this event with our customer,” said Ralf Barnscheidt, head of the company’s German Military Support Center.
The lightweight helicopter is the military version of the civil EC145 T2 that went into service in July of this year. It features a Helionix digital avionics suite with full night vision and a four-axis autopilot.
The helicopter, which can be strategically airlifted in an Airbus A400M and quickly prepared for missions upon arrival in theater, closes a gap for German Special Forces Command because of its multirole capability. It can be used for a range of military operations including transportation, reconnaissance, search and rescue, fire support, and evacuation of wounded soldiers.
Delivery is slated to start at the end of 2015, said Airbus Helicopters spokesman Claas Belling.
“We are waiting for certification and military testing so there are still a number of question marks behind everything, and it doesn’t just depend on us, but it will happen at the end of 2015, that’s for sure,” he said.
Thailand is the second country to commit to the EC645 T2, having signed a deal for five aircraft to be operated by the Royal Thai Navy. But Belling said that Airbus is in talks about export activities with several other countries.
“Many of them are waiting for the first flights to see how it performs with the German Special Forces, and we have every reason to hope that it will be a success,” he said. ■
