Safran signs support by-the-hour contract for German forces’ H145 engines
Safran Helicopter Engines' new contract covers support for more than 124 Arriel 2E engines.
Safran Helicopter Engines has signed a big support-by-the-hour contract with Airbus Helicopters for the engines powering the German Bundeswehr’s new fleet of Airbus H145M helicopters.
The new contract covers in-service support and MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) for more than 124 Arriel 2E engines, from helicopter entry into service to 2030. The latest deal follows support-by-the-hour contracts signed for engine support for the German forces’ H145M light utility helicopters (LUH) and special operations forces (SOF) and H145 LUH search and rescue helicopters (SAR) helicopters.
The contract will be managed by Safran Helicopter Engines Germany in Hamburg, Germany. The company monitors and supports 300 helicopter operators in Germany, Northern Europe, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, covering a total fleet of 2,000 engines.
The latest agreement further consolidates the company’s support for German forces’ military and parapublic missions. “Whether through the SBH [support-by-the-hour] contract for the H145 fleet, or the Global Support Package [GSP] contract for the NH90 fleet, we support the German forces with the best possible service models, which maximise equipment availability while optimising costs,” said Mathieu Albert, executive vice-president, Support and Services, Safran Helicopter Engines.
“Added to this is the construction of new facilities for Safran Helicopter Engines Germany near Hamburg, which will significantly enhance our MRO capacity in this area,” he said.
The engine manufacturer powers most of the German armed forces’ helicopters. This inludes: the H145 and H145M with the Arriel 2E engine, the NH90 with the RTM322, the Tiger UHT with the MTR390 engine (co-developed with MTU Aero Engines, Rolls-Royce and ITP Aero) and the H135 training helicopters with the Arrius 2B1.
Meanwhile, in April, Thomas Hütsch, CEO, NHV Group told Helicopter Investor how the company supports line and base maintenance contracts with the German Bundeswehr and the French Navy.
