On Thursday, May 15, 2025, European company Airbus Helicopters, British firm Babcock International, and Canadian company CAE Inc. signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to cooperate on offering a comprehensive training package consisting of H145M medium multirole helicopters and related training services to the Polish Air Force.
From left: Thibaut Trancart – Vice President and GM EMEA at CAE Inc., Jo Rayson – Managing Director of Babcock’s Training business, Ludovic Boistot – Head of Sales for Eastern Europe and the CIS at Airbus Helicopters / Photo: Babcock International
As highlighted in the press release from Babcock International, the partnership brings together three world-class service providers who will leverage their unique, combined expertise to develop a proposal aimed at equipping Poland with new and powerful defense capabilities as part of the ongoing modernization of the country’s helicopter aviation.
Under the terms of the agreement, Babcock International will provide training, Airbus Helicopters will oversee the design and construction of the helicopter platform, and CAE Inc. will be responsible for delivering simulation capabilities.
Jo Rayson, Managing Director of Babcock’s Training business stated:
“Our partnership presents the Polish Armed Forces with an exceptional platform backed by a proven training and support solution. Babcock is already playing a critical role on the Polish Navy’s Miecznik frigate programme and we’re pleased to be partnering with Airbus and CAE on this opportunity to deliver a crucial new defence capability.”
Joanna Rayson, dyrektor zarządzająca działu Training w Babcock International, powiedziała:
Ludovic Boistot, Head of Sales Eastern Europe and CIS at Airbus Helicopters, said:
“The H145 is the perfect four tonne class dual use helicopter, equipped to perform a wide range of military missions, including training, disaster relief, search and rescue special forces, light attack and more. It’s been used for these missions by key NATO and European allies of Poland such as the US, UK and Germany. We are confident that together with our training partners Babcock and CAE, who are world renowned companies in the fields of military training, we will provide the Polish military with the best multirole helicopter and the best training conditions to modernise the Air Force University of Deblin for their future Apache and other rotary-wing pilots.”
Thibaut Trancart, Vice President and General Manager, CAE Defense & Security, EMEA, from CAE, added:
“With more than 75 years of experience and a global presence as the training partner of choice for defence forces worldwide, our cutting-edge helicopter training and simulation solutions empower defence forces to develop essential skills and best practices for live missions. Ensuring superior training outcomes, CAE’s advanced technology and expertise, together with Airbus and Babcock, will support and enhance the mission and operational readiness of Poland’s defence forces – our team will be instrumental in this effort.”
Photo: Jakub Link-Lenczowski, MILMAG
Airbus H145
The latest version of Airbus’s bestselling H145 features an innovative five-blade rotor that increases the helicopter’s useful load by 150 kg. The simplicity of the new bearingless main rotor design facilitates maintenance tasks, improves serviceability and aircraft reliability, and enhances flight comfort for both passengers and crew.
Powered by two Safran Arriel 2E engines, the H145 is equipped with a Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) system and Helionix digital avionics. It features a highly efficient four-axis autopilot, which enhances safety and reduces pilot workload. Its particularly low acoustic footprint makes the H145 the quietest helicopter in its class, and its CO2 emissions are the lowest among its competitors.
Recently, Airbus Helicopters delivered the first of six new H145 helicopters to the United Kingdom, the first of three H145s to the Lithuanian Border Guard, the first of 42 H145s to the French Ministry of the Interior and Overseas Territories, and the first two of four H145D3s to the Ministry of Defense of Honduras. In September of last year, the Indonesian Air Force ordered four H145s, and in December, Bahrain ordered nine.
On December 6, 2024, it was announced that the 2,000th helicopter from the H145 family had been delivered to an undisclosed customer. Just a few days later, on December 9, it was reported that the 1,000th helicopter equipped with Helionix avionics had also been delivered to an undisclosed client.
The militarized variant is designated H145M. Recently, the first two were delivered to the National Guard of the Republic of Cyprus, and the first of 82 was handed over to Germany’s Federal Ministry of Defence (these helicopters will be armed with, among other systems, Euro-GATR guided missiles). The H145M has also previously been ordered by Luxembourg, Belgium, Ecuador, Serbia, Hungary, Brunei, and Ireland.
H145M for Poland
Airbus Helicopters is offering its solution as part of the market consultations conducted by the Armament Agency under the program to acquire an integrated training system for combat helicopter pilots, which includes a requirement for 24 rotorcraft. Babcock International is also among the ten listed bidders.
In addition, proposals have been submitted by: Wytwórnia Sprzętu Komunikacyjnego PZL-Świdnik, Polskie Zakłady Lotnicze in Mielec, Elbit Systems Ltd., International Defense & Aerospace Group LLC, the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ), ETC-PZL Aerospace Industries, Bell Textron Inc., and a consortium comprising: DM-MSB (leader), the Air Force Institute of Technology, Motor Sich, and Level 11.
Photo: Jakub Link-Lenczowski, MILMAG
The Armament Agency is seeking to assess the feasibility of acquiring a comprehensive solution consisting of:
- 24 helicopters configured for training with the use of airborne combat systems;
- a training system (simulators, training devices);
- a logistics package;
- material support services (e.g., Performance-Based Logistics – PBL);
- a training package (courses and instruction);
- the adaptation or construction of infrastructure closely linked to the training system.
This procedure, which lays the groundwork for the acquisition of new training helicopters (to replace the SW-4 Puszczyk and Mi-2), stems from the broad helicopter fleet modernization programs carried out by the Polish Armed Forces in recent years: S-70i Black Hawk International, AW149, AW101, the future AH-64E Apache Guardian, and potentially new helicopters under the Kondor program.
We’ve signed a Memorandum of Understanding with @AirbusHeli and @CAE_Inc leveraging our unique combined expertise to offer a comprehensive package of military helicopters and associated training services to the Polish Air Force. https://t.co/bpLST3ZGGr pic.twitter.com/Evotvei6Fq
— Babcock International (@Babcockplc) May 15, 2025