Thailand orders additional Airbus H225M helicopters

The RTAF's new H225M order takes its fleet of the type to 16. (Airbus)

Airbus Helicopters has signed a contract with the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) to supply two additional H225M Caracal medium-lift helicopters, the company announced on 26 September.

Airbus said the new helicopters will enhance the RTAF's capabilities in search-and-rescue (SAR) and emergency medical services (EMS) operations.

The new order takes the RTAF's fleet of H225Ms to 16. The service ordered an initial four aircraft in 2012, which were delivered in 2015. Other RTAF orders for the aircraft were made in 2014, 2016, and 2018.

Airbus said the RTAF's existing fleet of H225Ms is deployed in roles including combat SAR (CSAR), general SAR, and troop transport. Citing RTAF Commander-in-Chief Air Chief Marshal Punpakdee Pattanakul, Airbus said the newly ordered aircraft are specifically designated for SAR and EMS operations.

Airbus said completion work on the two new H225Ms will be undertaken by its local partner, state-owned Thai Aviation Industries (TAI).

The RTAF outlined its requirement to procure two additional medium-lift helicopters for SAR/EMS operations in its 2025 white paper, which was released in June.

Powered by two Safran Makila 2A engines, the 11 tonne H225M (previously known as the EC725) can carry up to 28 people and is typically used for CSAR, naval operations, medical evacuation, and military transportation.

According to Airbus, there are more than 360 H225s and military-variant H225Ms in global service, totalling close to 980,000 flight hours. Military customers include Brazil, France, Hungary, Indonesia, Iraq, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Singapore, and Thailand.

On 25 September, Airbus also announced that it had signed a contract with the RTAF to supply its MRTT Plus (MRTT+), the enhanced version of the company's A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT).