The new Airbus military helicopter that could bring hundreds of jobs to Flintshire

Airbus has revealed the first images of a new military helicopter that will be built in Broughton if the company wins a contract to replace the Royal Air Force Puma fleet.

Earlier this year the Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced plans to replace its fleet of 23 RAF Puma HC2 helicopters and three British Army-operated types under its New Medium Helicopter (NMH) programme.

Airbus Helicopters plans to offer its new military variant of the H175 helicopter to the MoD which would transform “the country’s helicopter industry – bringing value and prosperity to the UK.”

Hundreds of jobs could be created at Airbus Broughton if the company wins a contract to build military helicopters for the Royal Air Force.

If chosen Airbus would use its Broughton site as the location of a final assembly line for the H175M creating hundreds of jobs, Airbus would also export this model globally from the U.K.

In a statement, Airbus said: “Airbus Helicopters in the UK is aware of the Government’s intention to retire the Airbus Puma HC2 medium helicopter fleet, along with certain other types, in the middle of this decade and to seek a replacement known as the New Medium Helicopter (NMH).”

“While we (Airbus Heli) await the issue by the Ministry of Defence of its formal specification, we firmly believe the Airbus H175M is fully capable of fulfilling the UK’s NMH needs and of becoming a sustainable UK export product with the potential to resurrect the capacity and capability of the UK’s helicopter industry, in part through the creation of a new helicopter plant at the existing Airbus commercial aircraft site in Broughton, North Wales.”

“The civil variant of the H175 is by far the most capable super medium aircraft on the market, with 26 already in daily North Sea operation off the coast of the UK, and excellent export prospects for the proposed military variant.”

Airbus said: “We look forward to taking part in the competition to provide the NMH and if successful we are ready to invest substantially in the UK to create an advanced new helicopter manufacturing/assembly facility directly employing many skilled Airbus workers and sustaining hundreds more jobs in the wider UK supply chain.”

Visit us at #DSEI at booth H6-122 this week. Learn how the military #H175M can meet the UK’s New Military Helicopter #NMH requirement in the coming competition while transforming the country’s #helicopter industry – bringing value and prosperity to the UK. pic.twitter.com/6KWl7GUmj3

— Airbus Helicopters (@AirbusHeli) September 14, 2021

“This activity would support the government’s levelling up agenda and create an attractive exportable product capable of serving military customers worldwide.”

Airbus already has extensive ties with the MoD through its support for the Military Flying Training System and H135 Juno and H145 Jupiter at RAF Shawbury

Airbus Helicopters is vying for the NMH contract with Leonardo Helicopters and their AW149 helicopter, which it intends to build in Yeovil.

And reports say Sikorsky could offer the UH-60/S-70i Black Hawk.

The huge A380 factory at Airbus Broughton could be configured relatively quickly as an assembly line for the H175M.

Operations there have been wound down since the last wing for the final A380 to be built was dispatched from the site in February 2020.

The West factory still houses a jig that remains on standby for any A380 wing repairs.

The factory, with a floor space equivalent to 12 full-size football pitches, was the largest factory to open in the UK for many decades and supported as many as 1,200 staff at its peak.