The French Defence Procurement Agency DGA has
signed an order with Airbus to purchase an additional H225M which will be
operated by the French Air Force.
The aircraft will be delivered
in a configuration that allows it to be interoperable with the
existing fleet of 10 H225Ms in the French Air Force and in
particular it will be capable of inflight refuelling, an essential
operational advantage that this helicopter offers.
The aircraft
will be based in Cazaux and will be used for Special Forces and
SAR missions.
“We are very proud that the French
Air Force is renewing its trust in the reliable multirole H225M,
having been the first to deploy the type in an operational theatre
in 2006,” said Alexandra Cros, Vice President and Head of
Governmental Affairs France at Airbus Helicopters. “The H225M is a
real military asset thanks to its versatility and its excellent
range. Operational from ships and land with an all-weather
capability and takeoff in less than five minutes, it’s always
ready for assignment.”
The H225M, with more than 180
aircraft ordered, 97 helicopters delivered, and 110,000 flight
hours accumulated to date, is a combat-proven,
versatile and reliable workhorse for military missions worldwide.
The 11-tonne member of the Super Puma family is relied upon as a
force multiplier by France, Brazil, Mexico, Malaysia, Indonesia,
and Thailand.
Indonesia also recently placed a follow-on order for
an additional eight aircraft. Other recent customers for the H225M
include Kuwait, Singapore, and Hungary who signed a contract for
16 H225Ms in December 2018.
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