Brazil to acquire 27 H125 turbine singles from Airbus

Brazil’s armed forces will acquire 27 Airbus H125 turbine singles for its air force and navy flight-training programs. The helicopters will be produced at the Helibras facility in Itajubá, where the Airbus H225M heavy twin helicopters for the Brazilian armed forces are also assembled. The H125s are slated to be in service for 30 years and will replace the aging fleet of Airbus AS350 and Bell 206 training helicopters in service with the country’s air force and navy, respectively.

The H125s will be equipped with the Garmin G500H TXi double glass cockpit and vehicle and engine multifunction display and will be compatible with the use of night vision goggles. They will also be kitted with different types of mission equipment such as a hoist and hook.

Brazil’s armed forces operate 156 Airbus helicopters deployed from eight bases across the country. Its fleet includes 67 from the light single-engine Ecureuil family and 41 H225Ms. The fleet performs a wide array of missions such as tactical transport, search-and-rescue missions, and civil population support. The worldwide H125 fleet numbers more than 5,350 helicopters in operation with a cumulative 37 million flight hours.