First Two Of Eight Ordered In 2021 By Armament General Directorate

Airbus Helicopters announced the delivery of two H225M helicopters to the French Armament General Directorate (DGA), the first of eight ordered in 2021. They will replace the Pumas now in service overseas in French Guyana, Djibouti, and New Caledonia, and will be operated by the French Air and Space Force.

Their deployment will harmonize the helicopter fleet of the French Air and Space Force and will be used for operational missions, search and rescue, and utility missions.

As with all new H225Ms, they are equipped with state-of-the-art avionics, the Safran Euroflir 410 electro-optical system, and the Sigma inertial navigation system. For comms they are installed with the Thales VUHF radio TRA6034 and IFF (identify friend or foe) transponder TSC 4000.

Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters said, “The delivery of these two brand new H225Ms to the French Air and Space Force is very symbolic as France was the first operator of the H225M. They have proven on multiple occasions the benefit of this rotorcraft for combat, search and rescue, disaster management and medical evacuation missions.

“We are very proud that the French Air and Space Force has renewed their trust in the Caracal. The French Air and Space Air Force will benefit from all the innovations that have been implemented on the H225M since the helicopter started operations in 2006 with the French armed forces, further expanding the capabilities of this unique aircraft.”

The French H225Ms are nicknamed Caracal, and they have proven their reliability and durability in combat missions and crisis areas across the globe. With more than 350 of the aircraft in service and exceeding 880,000 flight hours, military customers include France, Malaysia, Indonesia, Iraq, Thailand, Singapore, Mexico, the Netherlands, Kuwait, Brazil, and Hungary.

FMI:  www.airbus.com/