Airbus Helicopters choose Thales to integrate Laser Guided Rockets on H145M helicopter

FZ | Forges de Zeebrugge – Rocket system 70mm (2.75”) : Airbus Helicopters choose Thales to integrate Laser Guided Rockets on H145M helicopters

Mr 6, 2017

Thales has been awarded a contract and received a full notice to proceed from Airbus Helicopters for integration of its Semi-Active Laser Guided Rocket FZ275 LGR on H145M helicopter.

This contract follows the selection of Thales solutions to provide rocket systems to Airbus Helicopters’ platforms with its new weapon management system HForce.

Under this contract, Thales will provide engineering support for the integration of its FZ275 LGR Laser Guided Rocket on H145M helicopter including a 70mm/2.75’’unguided rocket system.

With FZ275 LGR deployed soon on H145M with a 12-tube rocket launcher FZ231, it will be the first armed commercial helicopter of Airbus Helicopters with a Laser Guided Rocket capability.

The first firings tests on H145M are scheduled in 2017 for technical qualification and operational assessments. Other candidate helicopters for the integration of LGR include the medium-sized twin-engine helicopter H225M and H125M.

Because FZ275 LGR uses standard 2.75’’ launchers, the rocket system does not require modifications and enables the use of existing rocket system subject to the addition of a lens protection kit. With more than 60 years of experience providing rocket systems, Thales’s ammunitions portfolio guarantees the compatibility of Laser Guided Rocket on existing rocket systems.

Through this contract, Thales enlarges its supporting rocket systems integration within platforms and enables Airbus Helicopters to reinforce its vast weapon portfolio on armed helicopters.