Industry sources are telling HeliHub.com that Eurocopter have started production of the 500th EC145 at their plant at Donauworth, with the forward frame holding the windows for serial number 9500 already on the production line.  The landmark aircraft is expected to take to the air in approximately three months from now.  This figure does not include the parallel Kawasaki production line in Japan.

Included in the first 500 are 218 UH-72A Lakota for the US military, almost all for the US Army.  Additionally, at least 92 of the first 500 EC145s have been built for the US market and supplied via American Eurocopter, principally to the EMS market.

The EC145 first flew on 12th June 1999, and production started in 2002.