The Serbian Minister of Defence — Aleksandar Vulin — visited Airbus Helicopters’ Donau-wörth site (
www.airbus.com) last month to accept the first H145M for the Serbian Air Force.
This month, two H145Ms will also be delivered to the Serbian Ministry of Interior.
Altogether, Serbia will receive nine H145Ms, earmarked for the Air Force and for the Ministry of Interior. Four of the Air Force’s aircraft will be equipped with the HForce weapon management system.
Wolfgang Schoder, CEO of Airbus Helicopters Germany, said: “I would like to thank the Serbian government and Defence Minister Vulin for their trust in the latest member of our H145 family and for the smooth co-operation since the negotiations started in 2016.
“We see a lot more opportunities for the H145M in Europe and beyond.”
The contract between Airbus Helicopters and Serbia foresees the transfer of technology, spare parts, tools and documentation for the helicopters’ maintenance and repair.
Airbus Helicopters will also certify Serbia’s Moma Stanojlovic aeronautical plant as a centre for the maintenance of Gazelle helicopters and will include it in its overhaul network.
Airbus will also help Serbian manufacturing plants and R&D institutions to obtain the relevant qualifications and certificates to become a supplier.
The H145M has several optional equipment packages that can be installed or removed, depending on the mission.
With a maximum take-off weight of 3.7 tonnes, the H145M can be used for a wide range of tasks, including troop transport, utility, surveillance, air rescue, armed reconnaissance and medical evacuation.
The Serbian aircraft will be equipped with a fast roping system, a high-performance camera, fire support equipment, ballistic protection and an electronic counter-measures system.
The H145M is a tried-and-tested light twin-engine helicopter that was first delivered in 2015 to the German Armed Forces and has since been ordered by Hungary, Thailand and Luxemburg.
The mission-readiness of the H145Ms already in service is above 95%.