The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) has ordered two additional Airbus H225 multi-role helicopters to strengthen its search and rescue (SAR) and emergency medical service (EMS) capabilities.
The new aircraft will join the RTAF’s existing H225M fleet, first delivered in 2015, which already performs a wide range of missions including combat search and rescue (CSAR), troop transport, and general SAR. Completion work will be handled locally by Thai Aviation Industries (TAI) under its established partnership with Airbus Helicopters.
Air Chief Marshal Punpakdee Pattanakul said the H225M had proven “indispensable” over the past decade, adding that the new helicopters would ensure the RTAF could respond swiftly to emergencies and protect Thai citizens.
Airbus executive Olivier Michalon welcomed the follow-on order as proof of the H225’s reliability, versatility, and importance in national defence and humanitarian support.
Globally, more than 360 H225/H225Ms are in service, logging nearly 980,000 flight hours with military operators in countries including France, Brazil, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.