Aerospace

Cyprus orders six H145Ms for its National Guard

Nicosia – The Cyprus government has signed a contract with Airbus Helicopters to purchase six H145M helicopters, with an option for another six. The Cypriot National Guard will operate the five-bladed helicopters.

“The operation of this agreement will provide the National Guard with a cost-effective and high-performance helicopter solutions to meet the General Staff’s operational requirements and addresses many of the future challenges of light attack helicopter fleets.” The H145M will improve the National Guard’s day and night capabilities in delivering rapid response, fire power and precision, providing effective combat support, and acquiring critical information, according to Andreas P. Louka, Permanent Secretary of the Republic of Cyprus Ministry of Defence.

A military light utility helicopter with multiple roles is the H145M. The newest H145M, which is a derivative of the civil H145, has an unique, five-bladed rotor that boosts the helicopter’s payload by 150 kg. The new bearing less main rotor’s design makes maintenance tasks easier as well.

It is powered by two powerful Safran Helicopter Engines Arriel 2E turbines, controlled by the FADEC (full authority digital engine control) system. In addition, the helicopter is equipped with the Helionix digital avionics suite and thus offers not only innovative flight data management but also a powerful 4-axis autopilot, which considerably reduces the pilots’ workload in their missions. Its particularly low noise emissions make the H145 the quietest helicopter in its class.

The H145M is already in service in Hungary (20), Germany (15), Serbia (9), Thailand (5) and Luxembourg (2). The US Army operates a fleet of more than 460 locally built civil helicopters of the H145 family under the name UH-72 Lakota.

Aerospace

When Ratan Tata was denied entry to the airfield at the Aero India show, he waited

During our visit to Aero India 2019, we had the unexpected opportunity to see Ratan Tata at the event, which was a thrilling moment for us. However, there was a surprising hiccup when the security staff didn’t allow him to enter due to a lack of a security pass.

Despite this, he remained calm and patiently waited for about 20 minutes until a member of the Tata team brought him the required pass, after which he calmly proceeded inside. It was a humbling sight, showcasing his composed demeanor even in such situations.

Ratan Tata ji is not only a renowned industrialist but also a trained pilot, holding a pilot’s license. In 2007, he became the first Indian civilian to fly the F-16 Falcon during the Aero India show in Bangalore—a proud moment for the nation.

His passion for aviation extended beyond flying, as he played a key role in shaping India’s aerospace industry. Under his leadership, Tata ventured into manufacturing and maintaining aerospace components while upholding its legacy of quality. Notably, Tata’s collaboration with Airbus to develop and manufacture the C295 aircraft is a testament to its growing influence in the sector.