H225M / EC725 Caracal

The Airbus Helicopters H225M, formerly the Eurocopter EC725 Caracal, is a twin-engined long-range tactical transport helicopter developed in France from the AS532 Cougar. It entered French Air Force service in 2005 and is used for combat search and rescue, troop transport, casualty evacuation, logistic support and shipboard maritime operations, carrying up to 28 seated troops plus two crew.

Development

The EC725 originated in a French Air Force requirement for a dedicated combat search and rescue helicopter. The AS 532 A2 Cougar was trialled between 1996 and 1999 and rejected; the service sought more powerful engines, greater endurance and improved combat durability. Eurocopter developed a more ambitious AS 532 derivative, initially named Cougar Mk II+ for treaty reasons, with new mission equipment and autonomous avionics. The first prototype flew at Marignane on 27 November 2000 and was publicly presented on 15 January 2001. A civil counterpart, the EC225, was developed in parallel. France ordered six aircraft for the CSAR mission, the first delivered in February 2005, followed by eight more in November 2002, with a fleet of 20 envisaged in 2004. By 2015 the type, redesignated H225M, was built on two production lines in France and Brazil, with a third line in India considered in July 2015.

Design

The EC725 uses a five-blade composite main rotor with a new airfoil shape to reduce vibration, and a reinforced main rotor gearbox. Power comes from two Turbomeca Makila 1A4 turboshafts mounted over the cabin with dual-channel FADEC and an optional anti-icing system. The glass cockpit has an integrated display system with digital map and active-matrix LCDs. Removable armour plating can be fitted. Search radar and forward-looking infrared permit day and night SAR under visual and instrument flight rules. Four cabin configurations were developed: troop transport for up to 29 troops, VIP transport for 8–12 passengers, casualty evacuation with 12 stretchers and four medical staff, and combat SAR.

Armament

Armament options include two 7.62 mm FN MAG machine guns in the forward left and right windows, two side-mounted 68 mm Thales Brandt or Forges de Zeebrugge rocket launchers with 19 rockets each, and the MU90 Impact torpedo. Gun pods, rocket pods and Hellfire missiles can be carried externally through the HForce Generic Weapon System, cued by a Thales Scorpion helmet-mounted sight and Wescam electro-optical sensor. Brazilian Navy aircraft have been fitted with the Exocet anti-ship missile and a Helibras-built chaff and flare countermeasures suite; Thales supplies self-protection systems for French aircraft. Payload is 5,670 kg.

Operational History

Three French EC725s deployed to Cyprus in summer 2006 during Opération Baliste to evacuate civilians from Lebanon, weeks after entering service. From December 2006 French aircraft operated in Afghanistan from Kabul International Airport. In 2013 French machines received a SAGEM FLIR, Nexter door guns and cold-weather FADEC changes. Brazil ordered 50 aircraft in 2008 for $1 billion, built by Helibras at Itajubá; the Navy accepted its first on 19 June 2014, and the fleet passed 10,000 flight hours by 1 October 2015. Mexico ordered six in March 2009 and six more in September 2010; one made an emergency landing on 30 April 2015 after an RPG struck its tail rotor during Operation Jalisco, killing six soldiers. Malaysia ordered 12 in April 2009 and used them in the 2014 MH370 search and the 2015 Sabah earthquake rescue at Mount Kinabalu. Indonesia received the first of six in November 2014. Kuwait signed for 30 in August 2016, Singapore selected the type in November 2016, the UAE ordered 12 in December 2021, and the Netherlands formalised an order for 12 SOF aircraft in November 2024. Poland announced an order for 50 in April 2015 but withdrew from offset negotiations in October 2016.

Variants

• HM-4: Brazilian Army designation for the EC725.
• AH-15: Brazilian Navy designation for an attack variant.
• UH-15/UH-15A: Brazilian Navy designations for utility variants.
• H-36 / VH-36: Brazilian Air Force designations for the standard and VIP transport variants.
• H.11: Royal Thai Armed Forces designation for the H225M.