Paris Air Show 2023: Airbus pitches ‘multimission' credentials of Ares light helos for international market

The AH-125 and MH-125 Ares helicopters are being offered to the international market as two distinct platforms that share a common heritage with the M125M. (Airbus)

Airbus in the US is pitching the multimission capabilities of its AH-125 and MH-125 Ares light attack and utility helicopters as the chief differentiator to competing solutions on the international market.

Speaking to Janes and other defence media at the Paris Air Show 2023, Scott Tumpak, vice-president of military line of business at Airbus US Space & Defense, said that while other single-engined helicopters in the same class already exist and are in service around the world, the ability of the AH-125 and MH-125 to be quickly reconfigured between missions is what will set them apart in the global market.

“If we look at the military market worldwide, there are a lot of single-engined helicopters. We see a gap that is not being served right now, and that is in a multimission capability that could cover not just light attack, but also multiple missions such as special operations, firefighting, search and rescue, etc. So, we think that the AH-125 and MH-125 are unique in addressing this market niche and providing an option to militaries worldwide to cost efficiently address multiple missions with a single platform,” Tumpak said on 15 June.