Airbus has secured a follow-on order from U.S. Customs and Border Protection for 10 H125 light single-engine helicopters, extending a supplier relationship that stretches back more than 15 years. The aircraft will be operated by CBP's Air and Marine Operations (AMO) in support of law enforcement, border security and public-safety missions across the United States.
The H125 is a workhorse of the light utility helicopter market, valued for its high-and-hot performance, wide cabin and payload capability β qualities that make it well suited to patrol, surveillance and support flying in demanding terrain and climates. The 10 aircraft will be built at Airbus Helicopters' production facility in Columbus, Mississippi, where the type is assembled for U.S. customers.
Each helicopter will be delivered with a suite of standard safety equipment, including a dual-channel Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) system, an onboard engine data recorder and a dual hydraulic flight control system. Together these systems improve engine management, maintenance oversight and control redundancy β all valuable for an operator that flies long hours in challenging environments.
The order builds on a well-established history between the agency and the manufacturer. CBP previously ordered 16 H125s in 2020, itself part of a relationship dating to a 2008 commitment for 50 examples. The latest purchase continues that pattern of incremental fleet renewal rather than a wholesale change of type, allowing AMO to standardise training, maintenance and spares around a single, proven platform.
Marketed globally as part of Airbus' single-engine Ecureuil family, the H125 is certified for a range of utility roles, from aerial work and law enforcement to power-line and pipeline patrol. Its combination of a proven airframe, a modern FADEC-equipped engine and strong hot-and-high performance has made it a frequent choice for agencies operating across the varied terrain of the American Southwest.
For Airbus, the deal reinforces the H125's position as one of the best-selling helicopters in North American public-service and law-enforcement fleets, and underscores the strategic importance of its Columbus assembly line, which supports both civil and government customers on U.S. soil.
Air and Marine Operations is one of the largest law-enforcement air arms in the world, and the H125 has become a mainstay of its light-helicopter operations. The addition of 10 more airframes gives the agency further capacity for the surveillance and support work that defines much of its mission, while keeping its fleet aligned around a helicopter its crews already know well.
Sources: Airbus, FlightGlobal. Featured image: AI-generated by AviationShop. By Elena Vargas.
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