H225M Caracal lands in Poland ahead of MSPO 2016

 Airbus Helicopters had a commanding presence at MSPO International Defence Industry Exhibition, which took place in Kielce, Poland from 6-9 September 2016. Highlighting its wide range of products, the company will present the H225M  Caracal, which landed in Kielce following a ferry flight from France, together with the Tiger HAD and H145M on its static display. Airbus Helicopters’ presence at the show is in line with Airbus Group’s “Make in Poland” ambition and will aim to emphasize its global commitment of long-term cooperation in country.

The H225M Caracal, pre-selected by the Polish government in 2015, is a heavy, modern and combat-proven platform able to perform the widest range of missions from special operations to combat search and rescue, tactical transport, medical evacuation as well as a large spectrum of maritime missions. Operated by the armed forces of France, Brazil, Mexico, Malaysia and Thailand, the H225M Caracal has demonstrated its reliability even in the harshest operational environments. Kuwait is the latest nation to join the community of Caracal users with an order of 30 H225M Caracal helicopters placed by the State of Kuwait last month.

Alongside the H225M will be Airbus Helicopters’ multi-role attack helicopter, the Tiger HAD, offered to Poland in the frame of its upcoming “Kruk” acquisition project. The Tiger is designed to perform armed reconnaissance, air or ground escort, air-to-air combat, ground firing support, destruction and anti-tank warfare, day or night and in adverse conditions. It has proven its capabilities during operational deployments in Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Libya and Mali.

For the first time this year at MSPO, a real H145M from the German armed forces will be exhibited in Kielce. Certified in 2015, the H145M is the latest member of the Airbus Helicopters 4-ton-class twin-engine rotorcraft product range – with built-in mission capability and flexibility, especially in high-and-hot operating conditions. In its military version, this economical and versatile helicopter covers the entire spectrum of military missions, from light utility to light attack.

Besides Airbus’ strong helicopters appearance, the company’s stand at MSPO will also see a variety of first class products from its defence and space division, Europe’s largest defence and space enterprise and the second largest space business worldwide.

The A330 MRTT is the only new generation strategic tanker/transport aircraft flying and available today. The large 111 tonnes/ 245,000 lb basic fuel capacity of the successful A330-200 airliner, from which it is derived, enables the A330 MRTT to excel in air-to-air refuelling missions without the need for any additional fuel tank. The A330 MRTT is offered with a choice of proven air-to-air refuelling systems including an advanced Airbus Defence and Space Aerial Refueling Boom System, and/or a pair of under-wing hose and drogue pods, and/or a Fuselage Refueling Unit.

Thanks to its true wide-body fuselage, the A330 MRTT can also be used as a pure transport aircraft able to carry up to 300 troops, or a payload of up to 45 tonnes/99,000 lb. It can also easily be converted to accommodate up to 130 stretchers for Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC).

Airbus will also show a model of the Eurofighter Typhoon, the world’s most advanced new generation multi-role/swing-role combat aircraft available on the market. It represents the peak of European collaborative technology in avionics, aerodynamics, materials, manufacturing techniques and engines. With 599 aircraft on order Eurofighter Typhoon is Europe’s largest military collaborative programme. So far 8 nations are part of the Eurofighter family. Eurofighter Typhoon is the operationally proven Air Power for NATO, Europe, Middle East with multiple deployments such as the Baltic Air Policing duties with Spanish, German, UK and Italian Air Forces.

The Orlik Multi-purpose Trainer (MPT) is Poland’s No 1 military training aircraft manufactured and maintained by Airbus in Poland. It perfectly fits training from basic to advanced phases. It comes along with fully integrated digital avionics and a new flight control system.

Airbus is also a large contributor to the Polish space activities. As latest activity the company announced in June 2016 to construct a complex of clean rooms in Warsaw, thus boosting its Polish satellite production facility. The clean rooms will initially be used for the production of harnesses, a vital element to keep the various electronic satellite components connected. In future, they may be able to be used for the assembly of even more complex equipment for satellites and launchers or even small satellites.

At MSPO the Astrobus S Earth observation satellite will be showcased. Astrobus S is the Perfect Combination of Compactness and Performance. The latest generation of Earth Observation Satellites for Very High Resolution (VHR) applications combines the advantages of a low-mass system (around 400 kg only) with the strong performance of a larger Earth observation satellite platform.

Airbus Group has been a contributing partner to the Polish aerospace industry for almost two decades. With a current footprint of more than 900 direct jobs, the Group and its suppliers are involved in multiple cooperation projects with Poland, aiming to create 6.000 direct and indirect jobs in country over the next years. With a large manufacturing base in Warsaw, a dedicated engineering centre in Łódź and through a number of research & development partnerships with technical universities as well as small and medium enterprises in Poland, Airbus is carrying out breakthrough innovation projects in close collaboration with local actors to support development of advanced future concepts.