On Tuesday, April 7, 2026, the UK Ministry of Defence’s logistics agency, Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), announced that two Airbus H145 medium multirole helicopters had been delivered to the Army Air Corps’ 667 Squadron in Brunei, where they received the military designation Jupiter HC2.
Photo: British Army
Deliveries to DE&S began on May 12, 2025, with the first of the six helicopters ordered from Airbus Helicopters UK in Oxford, part of the European Airbus SE group. The contract, worth 148 million GBP (amended from its original value of 122 million GBP), was signed on April 19, 2024, and supports 250 highly skilled jobs. Aircrews in Brunei will now benefit from the experience of personnel who have operated the helicopters in the United Kingdom over the past four months.
The remaining four helicopters will be delivered to No. 84 Squadron Royal Air Force in Cyprus by the end of the year. The Jupiter HC2s are replacing the Puma HC2 medium helicopters, which were retired in March 2025. They will be used for jungle warfare training, as well as medical evacuation, troop transport, underslung load missions, firefighting, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), and general aviation support.
In addition, on December 15, 2025, a two-year contract worth 33.6 million GBP was also announced with Airbus for helicopter support and servicing, supporting 30 jobs in the United Kingdom, including eight British personnel deployed to Brunei to provide technical support for the helicopters.
Mark Langrill, Director Rotary Wing and Uncrewed Air Systems at the National Armaments Director (NAD) Group, said:
“Getting these aircraft to Brunei on this timescale has taken genuine commitment from everyone involved – our MOD team, colleagues in the Army and RAF, and the team at Airbus Helicopters UK. We’ve demonstrated that accelerated acquisition can work, and we’ve done it in a way that delivers real capability to the front line while supporting UK industry. Seeing these aircraft begin operational training is a proud moment for the whole programme.”
The program was delivered through close cooperation between the NAD Group, the British Army, the RAF, and Airbus Helicopters UK, and reflects the strength of the UK defense industrial base.
Gp Capt J Brooks, Senior Responsible Owner said:
“The rapid delivery of this programme demonstrates the ability to deliver a modern and reliable capability that provides value for money to Defence. Despite the inherent challenges associated with rapid procurement in aviation we will safely deliver a capability that meets Defence’s requirements. This can only be achieved by the collaborative efforts of everyone across the MOD and support from Industry.”
Before the Jupiter HC2 deliveries, the UK armed forces already operated other Airbus helicopters: 29 H135s and 7 H145s at the Defence Helicopter Flying School at RAF Shawbury under the Military Flying Training System (MFTS). All British military pilots are trained there. A larger H145 fleet will deliver savings in support costs and significantly reduce pilot training time.
The procurement of the H145 was also linked to delays in the program for 23 new medium multirole helicopters under the New Medium Helicopter (NMH) requirement. The contract with Leonardo UK, part of the Italian Leonardo group, which won the competition by offering the AgustaWestland AW149, was signed on March 23 this year and is worth 1 billion GBP.
Airbus H145
The latest version of the H145 features an innovative five-blade rotor, increasing the helicopter’s payload by 150 kg. The simplicity of the new bearingless main rotor design makes maintenance easier, improves serviceability and aircraft reliability, and also 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 also features a high-performance four-axis autopilot, which increases safety and reduces pilot workload. Its particularly low acoustic signature makes the H145 the quietest helicopter in its class, while its CO2 emissions are the lowest among competing designs.
More recently, on March 16 this year, the Czech police ordered 11 H145D3 helicopters. Last year, Airbus Helicopters delivered the first of three H145s for the Lithuanian Border Guard, as well as the first of 42 H145s for France’s Ministry of the Interior and Overseas Territories and the first two of four H145D3 helicopters for the Honduran Ministry of Defence. In September 2024, the Indonesian Air Force ordered four H145s, and in December Bahrain ordered nine. On December 6, 2024, Airbus announced the delivery of the 2,000th helicopter from the H145 family to an undisclosed customer, and on December 9 it announced that the 1,000th helicopter of an undisclosed type equipped with Helionix avionics had been delivered to a customer.
Two @Airbus H145 helicopters have landed in Brunei and are now conducting training with the @BritishArmy Air Corps, replacing the retired Puma HC2s.
Part of a £148 million programme supporting 250 UK jobs in Oxfordshire. 🚁
More: https://t.co/nrpsjxj5pu pic.twitter.com/6TkliUCFl7
— Defence Equipment & Support (@DefenceES) April 7, 2026
Two brand new helicopters have been delivered to our Air Corps in Brunei 🚁
The new generation aircraft will be used extensively during jungle training 🇧🇳🇬🇧
This delivery is part of a wider £148m @DefenceHQ investment 🤝
Read more below ⬇️https://t.co/lNisl7m5DJ pic.twitter.com/NTI7sxn3WT
— British Army 🇬🇧 (@BritishArmy) April 7, 2026
