France has begun taking delivery of Airbus H225M Caracal helicopters ordered as part of a stimulus package to support the country’s aerospace industry during the global pandemic.
Airbus has delivered two of the eight Caracals ordered for the French Air Force to the country’s defense materiel agency, the DGA, ahead of their transfer to the Air Force.
The new twin-engine helicopters will bolster the service’s existing fleet of Caracals. They feature new equipment compared to the earlier models including a Safran-made electro-optical camera, a modernized cockpit, radios, navigation systems and rescue hoists.
Once in service, the Caracals will allow the air force to phase out the remaining SA330 Puma aircraft still flying in France’s overseas territories, including French Guiana and New Caledonia.
“We are very proud that the French Air and Space Force has renewed their trust in the Caracal,” Airbus CEO Bruno Even said. He said the Air Force would benefit from the innovations developed for the H225 and H225M since the type entered service in 2006.
The order was one of the components of Paris’ PlanAero stimulus package to support the aerospace industry through the coronavirus pandemic, along with additional Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transports for the Air Force and new helicopters for the country’s military police, the Gendarmerie.
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