The Indian Ministry of Defence has approved the acquisition of 14 twin-engine heavy helicopters for the Indian Coast Guard. The Airbus H225M, formerly Eurocopter EC725, will join the Indian fleet for enhanced security and increased surveillance on the coastlines, LiveFist revealed in a tweet on Thursday.
Airbus H225M has proven to be a versatile military asset, allowing it to function in icy conditions and operate from ships or even land. With the all-weather capability of the helicopter and night vision goggle compatibility, the H225M can be used in a wide range of military operations, including special ops, combat search and rescue, tactical support and medical evac.
According to Airbus, over 90 aircraft in service have accumulated more than 100,000 flight hours. With this reliable helicopter joining the Indian Coast Guard fleet, here's a quick comparison against Sikorsky S-92.
| Model | Aibus H225M | Sikorsky S-92 |
| Capacity | 12,500 lb (5,670 kg) payload equivalent to 28 troops | 19 passengers |
| Max takeoff weight | 11,200 kg (24,692 lb) | 27,700 lb (12,568 kg) |
| Powerplant | 2 × Turboméca Makila 2A1 turboshaft engines, 1,776 kW (2,382 hp) each | 2 × General Electric CT7-8A turboshaft, 2,520 shp (1,879 kW) each |
| Maximum speed | 324 km/h (201 mph, 175 kn) | 306 km/h (190 mph, 165 knots) |
| Cruise speed | 285 km/h (177 mph, 154 kn) | 280 km/h (174 mph, 151 kn) |
| Range | 920 km (570 mi, 500 nmi) | 999 km (539 nmi) |
| Rotor | 5-blade main rotor | 4-blade main rotor |
Operations
Airbus H225M is in operation mostly for military use. The H225M is used by Brazilian Air Force, Army and Navy while France has it for Air Force and Army. Besides, Hungary Defence Forces, Indonesian Air Force, Kazakhstan Air Force, Kuwait Air Force, Royal Malaysian Air Force, Mexican Air Force as well as Navy, Singapore Air Force and Royal Thai Air Force prefer the H225M. India is the latest one to join the fleet.
On the other hand, the Sikorsky S-92 is used by Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Canada, Ireland, Japan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, the United Kingdom and the US. The S-92 is also widely used for civilian use in countries like the U.S., UK, Qatar, China, Canada, Brazil and others.
The S-92 is more popularly in use around the world. The H225M packs the extra punch when specs are compared, be it in terms of speed, payload and performance. The S-92 has better range than the H225M, but the difference isn't huge.
