By Christiana Afua Nyarko
Accra, March 7, GNA – The Ghana Air Force has taken delivery of a newly acquired Airbus H175 helicopter from France, marking a significant step in the modernisation and retooling of its operational fleet.
The acquisition forms part of a broader defence procurement programme approved by Parliament to enhance the operational capacity of the Ghana Armed Forces.
The state-of-the-art helicopter was ferried from Marignane, France, and arrived in Accra on Thursday, March 5, 2026, after successfully completing all technical acceptance procedures with the manufacturer, Airbus Helicopters.
The delivery flight followed a carefully planned route through Spain and North-West Africa before continuing south along the West African Atlantic coast through several countries en route to Ghana.
The arrival of the H175 forms part of a wider aircraft procurement initiative approved by Parliament, which includes the acquisition of one H160 and three H175 helicopters from Airbus Helicopters, as well as a Falcon 6X long-range fixed-wing aircraft from Dassault Aviation.
The programme aims to address operational limitations associated with the Air Force’s ageing fleet while significantly improving mission readiness and operational flexibility.
Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, Acting Minister of Defence; Mr Kwame Governs Agbodza, Minister of Roads and Highways; and Mr Ernest Brogya Genfi, Deputy Minister of Defence.
The others are Mr Raphael Pont, Deputy Head of Mission at the French Embassy; and Lieutenant General William Agyapong, Chief of the Defence Staff.
Equipped with advanced avionics, extended operational range, and increased payload capacity, the aircraft provides improved endurance, flexibility, and rapid response capability to address both conventional and emerging security challenges.
Upon arrival at the Air Force Base in Accra, the aircraft was accorded a water cannon salute – a ceremonial aviation tradition where airport fire trucks spray arcs of water over an aircraft, forming a tunnel or arch as it taxis underneath.
The salute is widely used in both military and civil aviation to welcome new aircraft joining a fleet and symbolises a formal celebration marking the aircraft’s official entry into service.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe