On 11th August 2025, two Airbus H225M helicopters, commonly known as Caracal, arrived in French Guiana to strengthen the air capabilities of Forces armées en Guyane (the Armed Forces in French Guiana – FAG).
The rotorcraft arrived at Base aérienne 367 (the 367th Air Base) ´Captain François Massé´, located at Cayenne-Félix Éboué International Airport, onboard one of the largest transport aircraft in the world, an Antonov An-124. This delivery was part of plan de soutien aéronautique (the aeronautical support plan) implemented for the FAG with the aim of replacing the already iconic SA330 Puma with four new H225M helicopters. According to the current schedule, the remaining two Caracals are expected to be deployed to French Guiana in 2026.
Even before the H225M rotorcraft arrived in French Guiana, selected crew members including pilots, flight engineers and ground technicians, underwent training at Base aérienne 120 in Cazaux, mainland France. The training focused not only on mastering the aircraft but also on adapting its operation and maintenance to the specific environment of French Guiana. The remaining personnel attended an additional training session, arranged locally at l’escadron de transport 00.068 (the Transport Squadron 00.068) ´Antilles-Guyane´.
On 14th August, the newly delivered H225M helicopters successfully performed their first flight in French Guiana. This milestone marks the beginning of transition period, during which test flights of the new rotorcraft are scheduled, while operational missions assigned to the FAG will continue to be carried out by Puma helicopters.
By the end of the year, the Caracals will be gradually integrated alongside the SA330 helicopters. The Puma rotorcraft are scheduled to be retired from active duty in the summer of 2026, after forty-six years of operational service overseas.
The Airbus Helicopters H225M, previously designated Eurocopter EC725 Caracal, was developed in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Initially, the rotorcraft was tailored to meet the requirements of the French special operations forces, specifically l’escadron d’hélicoptères 1/67 ´Pyrénées´ (the 1/67 Helicopter Squadron ´Pyrenees´), based at the aforementioned BA 120 in Cazaux. Since 2006, the H225M has been operated by Armée de l’air et de l’espace (the French Air and Space Force) for search-and-rescue (SAR) and combat-search-and-rescue (CSAR) missions, casualty evacuation, and troop transport.
This year marked the inaugural deployment of H225M helicopters equipped in accordance to the OLA standard to French air bases in French Guiana and Djibouti.
The OLA version of the rotorcraft features several major upgrades, such as modernised avionics, an enhanced observation-capable optronic turret, a dual hoist system, modern radio equipment, an increased operational radius, and a significantly greater payload capacity. The modernised Caracal has a flight endurance of up to 2 hours and 30 minutes and can carry a maximum load of 11,000 kg, compared to 1 hour and 55 minutes and 7,000 kg for the SA330 Puma.
In addition to the aforementioned helicopters, the Transport Squadron 00.068 currently operates CASA CN-235 medium-range twin-engine airlifters and H125M Fennec rotorcraft (previously designated AS550/555).
The delivery of modern H225M helicopters will significantly enhance the FAG’s air capabilities across a wide range of missions: medical evacuation (for both military and civilian population of the region), the fight against illegal gold mining (Operation HARPIE), protecting space launch activities from the Guiana Space Centre (Operation TITAN), tackling illegal fishing (Operation POLPÊCHE) and protecting the French Guiana airspace under posture permanente de sûreté aérienne (the Permanent Air Security Readiness, PPSA).
Cover photo: Airbus H225M Caracal in OLA standard, the French Air and Space Force.
All photos © Etat-major des armées / French Ministry of Defence. Information from the press releases of the French Ministry of Defence – published on the MoD page in August of 2025 – were used, in accordance to the etalab-2.0 licence.
