Airbus Helicopters has been awarded a contract for 12 H225M multi-role helicopters by the Republic of Iraq. The contract was signed in Baghdad by the Minister of Defence of Iraq Mr Thabet al-Abbassi in the presence of the French Ambassador Patrick Durel. These helicopters will be operated by the Iraqi Army Aviation command replacing older Mi-17s for a wider range of missions: counter-terrorism, special operations, tactical troop transport, attack, ground fire support, MEDEVAC and combat search and rescue. Deliveries will start in 2025. Iraq already operates a fleet of Airbus helicopters from the H125, H135 and H145 families.
“We are very pleased to welcome a new member in the H225M family. The H225M is a combat-proven platform used around the world by many operators, including the French Air Force, for combat search and rescue missions. It has proven its worth and saved many lives since entering into service. The H225M is unmatched in terms of range, payload and also mission systems. It has been designed to operate challenging missions in the most demanding environments. We are looking forward to seeing the H225M contribute to Iraq’s safety and sovereignty,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters.
The EC725 was developed to meet a French Air Force requirement for a specialist helicopter for Combat Search and Rescue operations. By 2015, the EC725, re-designated as the H225M, was being manufactured on two separate production lines in France and Brazil. The H225M is a long-range tactical transport military helicopter developed from the Eurocopter AS532 Cougar for military use. It is a twin-engined aircraft and can carry up to 28 seated troops along with two crew, depending on customer configuration. The helicopter is marketed for troop transport, casualty evacuation, and combat search and rescue duties, and is similar to the civilian EC225 Super Puma.
The H225M has proven its reliability and durability in combat conditions and crisis areas. Benefiting from Airbus’ continuous improvement policy, the H225M is now equipped with new avionics, an enhanced main gear box, airborne communication systems and can be equipped with the HForce weapon system. The maximum take off weight has been increased by 160 kg to reach 11,160 kg. There are more than 350 H225s and H225Ms in service across the world, totaling more than 880,000 flight hours. Military customers include France, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Mexico, Kuwait, Brazil, and Hungary.
