
France has received the first two of eight H225M helicopters. (Airbus)
France has received the first of a follow-on batch of Airbus H225M Caracal medium-lift helicopters it ordered in 2021.
The manufacturer announced on 17 January that the first two of eight helicopters have been delivered to the Direction Générale de l'Armement (DGA), ahead of onward delivery to the French Air and Space Force.
“ [These helicopters] will be operated by the French Air and Space Force, replacing Pumas currently in service in overseas territories (French Guiana, Djibouti, and New Caledonia) and will contribute to the harmonisation of the French Air and Space Force's helicopter fleet. They will be used for operational missions, search and rescue (SAR), and utility missions,” Airbus Helicopters said.
The announcement did not disclose when the remaining six helicopters will be delivered. When deliveries are complete, these eight new helicopters will join the 11 H225Ms already flown by the French Air and Space Force (it also fields two civil-variant H225s). The service has also announced that it plans to lease a further 15 civilian-variant H225 helicopters to conduct SAR, transport and support duties, and to replace 12 Puma and three Super Puma VIP helicopters.
Based on the Puma family, the H225M (previously known as the EC725) is an 11-tonne twin-engined helicopter that can carry up to 28 people and is typically used for combat SAR, naval operations, medical evacuation, and military transportation.
There are more than 350 civil-variant H225 and military-variant H225M helicopters in global service, totalling more than 880,000 flight hours. Military customers include Brazil, France, Hungary, Indonesia, Iraq, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Singapore, and Thailand.
For more information on the H225M, please see Airbus Helicopters H225 .
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