Ghana’s Ministry of Defence has placed an order for four helicopters with Airbus Helicopters, which will deliver two H175M, one ACH175, and one ACH160 for transport, search and rescue, disaster relief, and other duties.
Airbus Helicopters announced the order on 15 January but did not disclose order value or delivery timeframe.
“The commitment from Ghana marks the return of Airbus Helicopters to the country with a defined focus on customer support and partnership,” said Arnaud Montalvo, Head of Africa and Middle East Region for Airbus Helicopters.
“We are particularly excited that the H175M will be operated in Ghana, demonstrating the aircraft’s versatility across defence and security missions. This key deal also makes Ghana a leading customer in West Africa for our premium corporate helicopters, the ACH160 and ACH175,” he added.
The H175M is a military configured airframe to be used for missions such as personnel and cargo transport and civil support, while the ACH160 and ACH175 are corporate configured helicopters likely acquired for VIP duties.
The Ghana Air Force currently operates Mil Mi-17/171 and Harbin Z-9 helicopters. The Ghana Army and Ghana Navy do not operate aircraft of any kind while the Ghana Police Service operates AS350 and SA342 helicopters. The Air Force has five Mi-17V-5 and Mi-171Sh helicopters in service as well as three Z-9EH utility helicopters (one Z-9 was written off in August 2025, claiming the lives of eight people, including two prominent government ministers).
Airbus noted the H175 has been in service since 2014, and belongs to the super-medium class of helicopters, combining long-range and payload with smooth flight qualities, “making it the optimal solution for a wide range of onshore and offshore mission profiles, including disaster relief, search and rescue, public services and a wide range of military missions, as well as crew change and private and business aviation.”
In late 2025, Spain became the first customer for the military H175M, placing an order for six units as part of a wide-ranging 100-helicopter purchase.
Airbus describes the twin-engined H175M as having the largest cabin in its category, at 12 cubic metres. The aircraft has a range of 600 nautical miles, and an endurance of almost six hours. Airbus notes that full integration of the tanks into the airframe preserves cabin space, provides excellent ground clearance, and allows operations across all types of terrain without performance loss.
The ACH160 is the latest member of the Airbus Corporate Helicopters (ACH) family. It provides 20% greater volume per passenger compared to previous generation medium twin helicopters and 35% larger windows than its competitors, resulting in the brightest cabin in its class, Airbus said. It has a maximum endurance of four hours and 30 minutes and a top cruise speed of 155 knots. The ACH160 can carry up to 10 passengers.
The ACH175 is designed for high performance and long-range operations. Airbus says the helicopter combines fast cruise speeds with an endurance of up to six hours. With a maximum cruise speed of 151 knots, the ACH175 can carry up to 12 passengers.
