Photo: Airbus Helicopters | Christian KellerAirbus Helicopters has signed a new long-term support contract with France’s Aeronautical Maintenance Directorate (DMAé) to cover the entire fleet of H145 family helicopters operated by the French Sécurité Civile and Gendarmerie Nationale. The agreement, which runs for up to 10 years, covers 46 H145 helicopters — 40 for the Sécurité Civile and six for the Gendarmerie Nationale — and will be delivered in partnership with
Babcock.
This latest deal follows a previous support agreement signed in May 2024 for the agencies’ EC145 fleet, also in co-contracting with Babcock. Together, these contracts give Airbus Helicopters full responsibility for supporting all H145 family aircraft operated by the two organisations, ensuring maximum availability and efficiency for their critical missions.
Captain Jean-Baptiste Fortin, DMAé, said: “Ensuring the operational availability of our H145 fleet is critical for the public safety missions carried out by the Sécurité Civile and Gendarmerie Nationale. This comprehensive agreement provides the long-term visibility and industrial support necessary to guarantee their performance.”
Romain Trapp, executive vice president of customer support and services at Airbus Helicopters, said: “Airbus Helicopters is proud to strengthen its partnership with the French government and to be working alongside Babcock on this essential programme. This contract demonstrates the trust the DMAé places in Airbus to support its critical missions. By managing the entire H145 fleet, Airbus Helicopters can provide a unified and more efficient support service.”
The H145 helicopters are deployed for search and rescue, emergency medical services, firefighting and law enforcement missions. The contract covers a wide range of support activities, including training, technical assistance, spare parts supply, logistics solutions, technical data management, software support and MRO services.
Airbus is also supporting the renewal of the Sécurité Civile and Gendarmerie fleets. The Sécurité Civile currently operates 13 new H145s, while the Gendarmerie recently received its first new H145 following orders placed by the French Ministry of Interior in 2021 and 2024.