Two Spanish ministries have ordered 36 Airbus H135 light twin-engine helicopters. The Ministry of Defense will receive 18 H135s to be operated by the Ejército del Aire (air force) and the Armada Española (navy) while the Ministry of Interior will also take delivery of 18 H135s to be operated by the Policía Nacional and the Guardia Civil. Deliveries will start in 2022.
The Spanish army already operates a fleet of 16 H135s. The newly ordered helicopters will be the air force’s first H135s and the navy’s first Airbus Helicopters product. As was the case for the army’s H135s, the new air force and navy H135s will replace older helicopters currently used for advanced pilot training. Standardizing training fleets across the three armed forces will create new and more efficient training and support activities. The Ministry of Interior currently has a fleet of 31 helicopters from the H135 family in operation with the Policía Nacional, the Guardia Civil, and Tráfico. The new helicopters will enable the Policía and Guardia Civil to replace its BO105 helicopters for missions including law enforcement, surveillance, and rescue activities.
There are about 1,350 H135 helicopters flown by 300 operators in 64 countries, and the fleet has accumulated 6 million flight hours.