The United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force has strengthened its presence in Cyprus with the arrival of two Airbus H145 Jupiter HC Mk2 helicopters, which have joined 84 Squadron.
The aircraft are part of a US$ 196.84 million program led by the British Ministry of Defence, which took only two years from the signing of the contract to the entry into service of the new helicopters.
The H145 Jupiter HC Mk2 helicopters will be used for a wide range of missions, including emergency response, firefighting, military personnel transport, medical evacuation, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations. They will replace capabilities previously provided by the Puma HC2 helicopters and, before them, the Griffin.
The contract calls for the delivery of six aircraft and also benefits British industry, supporting around 250 jobs at Airbus in Oxford. In addition, two other H145 helicopters are already operating in Brunei with 667 Squadron of the Army Air Corps, while a support contract keeps dozens of specialized professionals working in the United Kingdom, Cyprus, and Brunei.
According to the Ministry of Defence, the introduction of the Jupiter HC Mk2 is part of the strategy to modernize the British helicopter fleet, which aims to reduce the variety of models in service, simplify maintenance, increase interoperability, and lower operating costs. Program officials and Airbus representatives emphasized that the rapid delivery of the aircraft demonstrates the efficiency of the partnership between government and industry and increases confidence in the H145 platform.
Two new @Airbus H145 helicopters have arrived at @bfcyprus, going from contract to capability in two years under a £148m @DefenceHQ programme 🚁
Firefighting and transportation are just some of the ways the new capability will support the @RoyalAirForce. https://t.co/MThqZXN5IG pic.twitter.com/OZWzua2O3v
— National Armaments Director Group (@UKArmaments) June 22, 2026
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Source: UK Defence Journal | Photos: Royal Air Force | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
