Spanish Air Force receives first H135 helicopter

Spanish Secretary of State for Defence María Amparo Valcarce formally receiving the first Airbus H135 helicopter for the Spanish Air Force on 9 May. (Spanish Ministry of Defence)

The Spanish Air Force (Ejército del Aire Español: EdAE) has officially received into service its first Airbus Helicopters H135 rotorcraft, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced.

Secretary of State for Defence María Amparo Valcarce and CEO of Airbus Helicopters Spain Fernando Lombo signed the certificate of delivery during a ceremony at the Albacete production facility on 9 May.

As noted in the MoD announcement, this will be the first H135, destined to replace the Sikorsky S-76C at 78 Wing, Military Helicopter School, located at Armilla Air Base in Granada. As well as the school, the H135 is also destined for the 6th Army Squadron, where it will replace the Hughes 500M from October.

Spain ordered 36 Airbus H135 helicopters for use by the armed forces and police/civil guard in December 2021. The order included 18 helicopters for the air force and navy to augment the 16 EC135s (the nomenclature used by Eurocopter prior to becoming Airbus Helicopters) operated by the army. The value of the 18 helicopters is EUR178 million (USD194 million), including simulators.