Brazil to improve logistics and light attack missions with 12 new Airbus H145M helicopters
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Brazil will buy 12 Airbus H145M helicopters for transport, medevac, and light attack missions, boosting Army aviation and local industry.
As reported by Zona Militar on September 15, 2025, Brazil is preparing to strengthen its Army aviation with the planned acquisition of between 10 and 12 Airbus H145M helicopters. The light utility helicopters, to be assembled locally by Helibras, are intended to support missions ranging from troop transport and logistics to light attack and medevac. This step comes as part of wider modernization efforts linked to PEC 55/2023, which seeks to guarantee predictable defense funding and industrial participation.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The H145M can be outfitted with machine gun pods up to .50 caliber, 20 mm cannon pods, and 70 mm rockets, including semi-active laser-guided munitions, as well as Spike missiles, already fielded by Brazil’s ground forces. (Picture source: Airbus)
The proposed H145M acquisition, referenced in planning documents associated with PEC 55/2023, will rely on Helibras’ facilities in Itajubá, enabling domestic assembly and sustainment support for the Brazilian fleet. This approach has been framed as consistent with the country’s policy of maintaining local defense-industrial capacity while modernizing its military. Reports indicate that four helicopters would be scheduled for delivery by Helibras, Airbus Helicopters’ Brazilian subsidiary, in 2028 and four more in 2030, though the final distribution depends on funding availability and program execution. In parallel, Brazil is set to receive twelve UH-60M Black Hawks approved through the Foreign Military Sales program in May 2024, which will start arriving this year. Those aircraft will replace four HM-2 (UH-60L) helicopters and gradually phase out the AS532 Cougar fleet through 2029. It also remains to be determined whether the H145M will augment or eventually replace the HM-1 (AS565 Panther), which has undergone modernization.
The procurement is being discussed in the broader context of PEC 55/2023, a proposed constitutional amendment debated in the Senate’s Foreign Relations and National Defense Committee. The measure calls for allocating at least 2% of GDP annually to the Ministry of Defense and requires that 35% of discretionary defense spending be directed to strategic projects, such as helicopters, vehicles, and weapons systems. The Ministry of Defense reported R$112.25 billion in paid expenditures for 2024, a figure used during the hearings to highlight the need for predictable budget flows. Senator Carlos Portinho, who authored the proposal, pointed to decades of budget reductions and said the amendment seeks to ensure planning stability. Government leader Randolfe Rodrigues also emphasized that the long-term decline in resources has weakened force readiness and argued that the situation must be reversed. Supporters of the proposal noted that Brazil’s defense spending in 2023 was 0.8% of GDP, compared with a global average of 1.98%, framing the initiative as a state policy rather than one linked to a particular administration.
Testimonies from senior officers described operational consequences of reduced budgets. The Navy reported a 62% reduction in its budget over the last decade, which has limited the number of available platforms to defend maritime and coastal interests. The Air Force reported a 40% decline in the number of operational aircraft over the same period and nearly a 50% reduction in flight hours, reducing pilot training opportunities and leading some personnel to resign for commercial aviation careers. The Army’s Strategic Projects Office reported it manages 73 programs, of which one-third remain uninitiated due to lack of funding, and only 26 are currently active. Defense industry representatives from Imbel, Embraer, and Companhia Brasileira de Cartuchos explained that irregular financing causes contract delays, program extensions, and uncertainty that directly affect long-term sustainment of equipment and supply chains.
The H145M itself is a military derivative of the H145, originally developed from the Eurocopter EC145 and MBB/Kawasaki BK 117 family. It is equipped with two Safran Arriel 2E turboshaft engines with full authority digital engine controls, and incorporates Airbus’ Helionix avionics suite and a four-axis autopilot. Technical specifications include a maximum takeoff weight of 3,800 kilograms, useful load of 1,893 kilograms, and a capacity for two pilots plus up to ten troops. The type can carry an external sling load of up to 1,600 kilograms and has a range of 637 kilometers with standard fuel tanks and an endurance of about three and a half hours. Its design allows for rapid reconfiguration from troop transport to other missions, such as medical evacuation, reconnaissance, or armed support, providing flexibility in high-altitude and high-temperature conditions.
For armed configurations, the H145M can be fitted with the HForce modular weapon system, which allows integration of 12.7 mm machine gun pods, 20 mm cannon pods, and 70 mm unguided and guided rockets. The system also supports helmet-mounted sights and electro-optical sensors such as the Wescam MX-15 for target acquisition. Future integration of guided missiles such as the Spike ER2 has been identified in export markets, which would provide anti-armor capability. The helicopter also includes ballistic protection, self-sealing fuel tanks, crashworthy features, and optional equipment such as rescue hoists and search radars for maritime or rescue operations. Its compact frame, shrouded tail rotor, and low infrared and acoustic signatures contribute to operations in confined and contested environments.
By joining other nations already operating the Airbus H145M, Brazil positions its Army to benefit from a proven helicopter platform with multiple roles in combat, transport, and rescue. For instance, Germany has ordered up to 82 units for its Army and special operations forces, while Hungary, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Serbia, Ireland, and Belgium have all introduced or ordered the type. The helicopter has been deployed operationally in missions such as Germany’s evacuation operation in Kabul in 2021. Airbus reports that the type is also used for training, utility, and reconnaissance roles across multiple countries, with assembly lines established in Germany and Kazakhstan and local production agreements in several markets. By selecting the H145M, Brazil will be joining a group of operators that use the platform for a mix of combat support and utility missions, while also reinforcing its own defense-industrial base by assigning production to Helibras.
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{loadposition sidebarpub}
Brazil will buy 12 Airbus H145M helicopters for transport, medevac, and light attack missions, boosting Army aviation and local industry.
As reported by Zona Militar on September 15, 2025, Brazil is preparing to strengthen its Army aviation with the planned acquisition of between 10 and 12 Airbus H145M helicopters. The light utility helicopters, to be assembled locally by Helibras, are intended to support missions ranging from troop transport and logistics to light attack and medevac. This step comes as part of wider modernization efforts linked to PEC 55/2023, which seeks to guarantee predictable defense funding and industrial participation.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The H145M can be outfitted with machine gun pods up to .50 caliber, 20 mm cannon pods, and 70 mm rockets, including semi-active laser-guided munitions, as well as Spike missiles, already fielded by Brazil’s ground forces. (Picture source: Airbus)
The proposed H145M acquisition, referenced in planning documents associated with PEC 55/2023, will rely on Helibras’ facilities in Itajubá, enabling domestic assembly and sustainment support for the Brazilian fleet. This approach has been framed as consistent with the country’s policy of maintaining local defense-industrial capacity while modernizing its military. Reports indicate that four helicopters would be scheduled for delivery by Helibras, Airbus Helicopters’ Brazilian subsidiary, in 2028 and four more in 2030, though the final distribution depends on funding availability and program execution. In parallel, Brazil is set to receive twelve UH-60M Black Hawks approved through the Foreign Military Sales program in May 2024, which will start arriving this year. Those aircraft will replace four HM-2 (UH-60L) helicopters and gradually phase out the AS532 Cougar fleet through 2029. It also remains to be determined whether the H145M will augment or eventually replace the HM-1 (AS565 Panther), which has undergone modernization.
The procurement is being discussed in the broader context of PEC 55/2023, a proposed constitutional amendment debated in the Senate’s Foreign Relations and National Defense Committee. The measure calls for allocating at least 2% of GDP annually to the Ministry of Defense and requires that 35% of discretionary defense spending be directed to strategic projects, such as helicopters, vehicles, and weapons systems. The Ministry of Defense reported R$112.25 billion in paid expenditures for 2024, a figure used during the hearings to highlight the need for predictable budget flows. Senator Carlos Portinho, who authored the proposal, pointed to decades of budget reductions and said the amendment seeks to ensure planning stability. Government leader Randolfe Rodrigues also emphasized that the long-term decline in resources has weakened force readiness and argued that the situation must be reversed. Supporters of the proposal noted that Brazil’s defense spending in 2023 was 0.8% of GDP, compared with a global average of 1.98%, framing the initiative as a state policy rather than one linked to a particular administration.
Testimonies from senior officers described operational consequences of reduced budgets. The Navy reported a 62% reduction in its budget over the last decade, which has limited the number of available platforms to defend maritime and coastal interests. The Air Force reported a 40% decline in the number of operational aircraft over the same period and nearly a 50% reduction in flight hours, reducing pilot training opportunities and leading some personnel to resign for commercial aviation careers. The Army’s Strategic Projects Office reported it manages 73 programs, of which one-third remain uninitiated due to lack of funding, and only 26 are currently active. Defense industry representatives from Imbel, Embraer, and Companhia Brasileira de Cartuchos explained that irregular financing causes contract delays, program extensions, and uncertainty that directly affect long-term sustainment of equipment and supply chains.
The H145M itself is a military derivative of the H145, originally developed from the Eurocopter EC145 and MBB/Kawasaki BK 117 family. It is equipped with two Safran Arriel 2E turboshaft engines with full authority digital engine controls, and incorporates Airbus’ Helionix avionics suite and a four-axis autopilot. Technical specifications include a maximum takeoff weight of 3,800 kilograms, useful load of 1,893 kilograms, and a capacity for two pilots plus up to ten troops. The type can carry an external sling load of up to 1,600 kilograms and has a range of 637 kilometers with standard fuel tanks and an endurance of about three and a half hours. Its design allows for rapid reconfiguration from troop transport to other missions, such as medical evacuation, reconnaissance, or armed support, providing flexibility in high-altitude and high-temperature conditions.
For armed configurations, the H145M can be fitted with the HForce modular weapon system, which allows integration of 12.7 mm machine gun pods, 20 mm cannon pods, and 70 mm unguided and guided rockets. The system also supports helmet-mounted sights and electro-optical sensors such as the Wescam MX-15 for target acquisition. Future integration of guided missiles such as the Spike ER2 has been identified in export markets, which would provide anti-armor capability. The helicopter also includes ballistic protection, self-sealing fuel tanks, crashworthy features, and optional equipment such as rescue hoists and search radars for maritime or rescue operations. Its compact frame, shrouded tail rotor, and low infrared and acoustic signatures contribute to operations in confined and contested environments.
By joining other nations already operating the Airbus H145M, Brazil positions its Army to benefit from a proven helicopter platform with multiple roles in combat, transport, and rescue. For instance, Germany has ordered up to 82 units for its Army and special operations forces, while Hungary, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Serbia, Ireland, and Belgium have all introduced or ordered the type. The helicopter has been deployed operationally in missions such as Germany’s evacuation operation in Kabul in 2021. Airbus reports that the type is also used for training, utility, and reconnaissance roles across multiple countries, with assembly lines established in Germany and Kazakhstan and local production agreements in several markets. By selecting the H145M, Brazil will be joining a group of operators that use the platform for a mix of combat support and utility missions, while also reinforcing its own defense-industrial base by assigning production to Helibras.
