Nichols Martin
Airbus has demonstrated a capacity to launch laser guided rockets with the company-built H145M helicopter platform during a firing test held at Alvdalen test range in Sweden.
The helicopter fired Thales-made FZ275 70mm air-ground rocket as part of the trials at the Swedish defense materiel administration’s test facility, Airbus said Wednesday.
An MX-15D electro-optical system from L3 Technologies‘ Wescam subsidiary helped guide rockets that were fired at a distance of up to 2.7 miles.
FZ275 is designed to lower the risk of collateral damage in asymmetric combat conditions.
The Alvdalen trials came two months after Airbus completed ballistic firing tests in Hungary during October of last year and were part of the company’s HForce development strategy that seeks to increase H145M mission capability.
Airbus expects to complete final qualification of its HForce weapon system by the end of this year and the qualification of FZ275 rockets in late 2019.
HForce is designed to integrate with military variants of H145M, H225M and H125M commercial helicopters.
