For the First Time, Airbus H145M Helicopter Fires Spike Missiles

The firing was intended to assess the effects of the missile launch on the helicopter prior to its integration into the helicopter's HForce system

For the First Time, Airbus H145M Helicopter Fires Spike Missiles

Photo: Airbus website

German website Soldat & Technik reports that in January this year, initial firing tests were conducted to integrate Rafael ER2 anti-tank missiles on an Airbus Helicopters H145M helicopter, as part of the working on the expansion of the capabilities of this military helicopter. The Spike ER2 weighs around 35 kg and is designed for combat ranges of up to ten kilometers.

According to Airbus, as part of the so-called "derisking" phase, initial investigations were carried out in January at the Cincu firing range in Romania to assess the effects of the missile launch on the helicopter. The next step is to integrate the Spike anti-tank missile into the helicopter's HForce system.

Equipped with the HForce system, the H145M is already capable of deploying a 12.7mm machine gun, a 20mm cannon, and laser-guided and unguided rockets up to 70mm caliber. So far, users of the H145M are Hungary (20 Helicopters), Germany (15), Serbia (9), Thailand (5) and Luxembourg (2). According to Airbus Helicopters, the helicopter will also be offered to the Romanian army.