Airbus Helicopters to service German military helos

DONAUWORTH, Germany, June 2 (UPI) -- Airbus Helicopters has received a contract to provide full service for its H145M aircraft to be used primarily by the German military's Special Forces Command.

The contract is for seven years, but Airbus Helicopters did not provide information as to the monetary value of the award.

"We are committed to providing high-quality, comprehensive coverage in this first full-service contract for the new H145M," said Klaus Przemeck, the head of Airbus Helicopters' German Military Support Center. "It will build on our track record of successful support for the EC135s used to train its pilots at the German Army Aviation School in Bueckeburg, where the fleet's operational availability is at over 90 percent."

The H145M, previously designated the EC645 T2, is a twin-engine medium-sized utility aircraft. Fifteen of the aircraft are coming into service with the German Air Force later this year.

Airbus Helicopters said that under the services contract it will be responsible for management and implementation of maintenance and repair activities, material supply and airworthiness and will work in close cooperation with military personnel at the Laupheim Air Base in Baden-Württemberg, South Germany.