The British Army has received the first two Airbus H145 Jupiter HC Mk2 helicopters at its base in Brunei, assigned to 667 Squadron of the Army Air Corps.
Defence Equipment & Support, the UK Ministry of Defence procurement agency, handed over the aircraft as part of a £148 million contract signed approximately two years ago with Airbus Helicopters UK for six helicopters total. These will operate in Brunei and Cyprus.
The helicopters support operations in demanding settings such as jungle training. They handle medical evacuations, troop transport, external load operations, firefighting, reconnaissance, surveillance and general aviation tasks, replacing retired Puma HC2 helicopters, according to the Ministry of Defence.
All six aircraft are scheduled to be operational in their locations by the end of 2026.
The programme includes a £33.6 million, two-year maintenance contract awarded to Airbus Helicopters UK at the end of 2025, covering the fleet in both Brunei and Cyprus while sustaining UK jobs.
Programme officials noted the quick delivery shows the Ministry of Defence can rapidly acquire and deploy capabilities while backing domestic industry.