Lithuania acquires H145M helicopters for special forces and other roles

Lithuania has acquired three Airbus Helicopters H145M rotorcraft that its State Border Guard Service (Valstybės Sienos Apsaugos Tarnyba: VSAT) will use for special forces deployment and other roles.

Airbus announced the contract on 29 November, saying that the latest D3-standard H145M helicopters will also be used for search and rescue, disaster relief, medical evacuation, border patrol, firefighting, and for the transport of donor organs.

The announcement did not disclose a contract value or a delivery timeline.

The D3 standard of the H145M is most easily identifiable by the five-bladed main rotor assembly, in place of the previous four blades, for greater speed and/or lift capacity, as well as for easier maintenance. It has added an extra 150 kg lift capacity to take the aircraft’s maximum take-off weight (MTOW) up to 3,800 kg, and also provides for easier maintenance due to reduced vibration.