- On June 8, 2026, the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) delivered to the Air and Space Force the last of the eight H225M Caracal helicopters ordered from Airbus Helicopters in 2021 as part of the aeronautics support plan.
- This helicopter is intended to complement the fleet of 26 Caracals in service with the armed forces, which will soon be operated by the Air and Space Force and are regularly deployed during external operations.
- These helicopters are replacing the Air and Space Force’s Puma helicopters currently based overseas and abroad (French Guiana, New Caledonia, and Djibouti). This eighth helicopter will be deployed to New Caledonia.
In 2021, in order to support the aeronautical industry which was hit hard by the health crisis, the Ministry of the Armed Forces and Veterans decided to acquire eight H225M Caracal helicopters in advance to replace the SA330 Puma.
The latest addition to the Puma/Super Puma/Cougar helicopter family, and more capable than the SA330 Puma, the H225M Caracal represents the latest standard in the Super Puma family. The Caracal is a modern aircraft optimized for combat search and rescue, tactical transport, and medical evacuation missions, day and night. Its versatility allows the Caracal to perform these numerous missions both domestically and on overseas operations.
Thanks to its boom, which allows it to be refueled in flight by tactical transport aircraft such as the A400M Atlas, the Caracal has the best range and autonomy in its category, enabling it to carry out its missions in France and in theaters of operation.
The eight helicopters delivered benefit from improvements over previous versions: increased detection with the latest generation EUROFLIR 410 optronic camera, a modernized cockpit equipped with four 10×8 inch multi-function displays , more precise navigation with the CMA5024 GPS, new radios and electric winches, as well as two additional steerable spotlights (white and infrared) for night operations.
This order has benefited the vast majority of French industry, including Airbus Helicopters and its main subcontractors such as Safran Helicopter Engines, Safran Electronics & Defense, and Thales. The Caracal helicopters are assembled at the Airbus Helicopters site in Marignane (13), which employs more than 12,500 people. This is the second largest industrial site in France. The Caracal’s airframes and dynamic assemblies are also manufactured there, and the Makila 2A engines are produced by Safran Helicopter Engines in Bordes (64).
The French Air and Space Force will soon have a total fleet of 27 Caracal helicopters. In mainland France, they operate from Air Base 120 in Cazaux (33), where they are operated by Helicopter Squadron 1/67 “Pyrénées”. Overseas and abroad, the Caracals will be deployed to the air bases of Cayenne (973), Djibouti, and Tontouta (988) starting this summer.
Technical specifications :
- Wingspan 16.2 meters, length 19.50 meters, height 4.6 meters
- Empty weight 7.3 tonnes, maximum takeoff weight 11.2 tonnes
- Twin-engine Makila, speed 267 km/h in cruise mode or 324 km/h maximum speed
- Range: 650 to 1,300 km depending on configuration and in-flight refueling
- Maximum ceiling 6,000 meters
Equipment (depending on the mission) :
- Two 7.62 mm MAG 58 machine guns mounted in the gunport, a 12.7 mm M3M machine gun and a 20 mm SH20 cannon
- Electro-optical system (FLIR) – infrared camera, laser rangefinder, laser pointer, PLS ( Personal Locating System ) for locating personnel downed in hostile territory
- Missile launch detector, laser warning system, radar warning system, decoy launcher, and armor plating
