Airbus Helicopters H225(M) Super Puma & Caracal Family

Titus K

Titus K

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Just a heads up on the state of the H225 family, since i can't find a thread anywhere.

The backlog currently consists of around 100 airframes, with military and police orders representing the bulk of them :
  • Germany has ordered 38 H225 ( +6 options ) to equip its police.
  • The Netherlands has ordered 12 H225M for its special forces.
  • Iraq has ordered 12 H225M, but has expressed a need for “at least 36 Caracals.”
  • Morocco has just ordered 10 H225M.
  • France is still awaiting delivery of its last 4 H225M,
  • Japan has ordered an extra 3 H225 for it's coast guard, raising it's fleet to 18 aircrafts.
  • Thailand has just ordered 2 H225.
All of these customers consider fast delivery to be a contractual imperative.
Thus, Airbus has invested to increase it's production capacity.
Its industrial strategy, called “Genflex,” is intended to increase speed and flexibility in order to, ultimately, reach a production rate of 25 to 30 Caracals per year.

By the way, after several setbacks, deliveries to Kuwait were completed in the summer of 2024, with the full fleet of 30 H225Ms handed over.

Finally, Hungary took delivery in July 2025 of the final unit from its 2018 order of 16 H225M Caracals.
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TomcatViP said:
That 's a big helo for a police force?!!
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It's for the Bundespolizei, formerly the Bundesgrenzschutz, so it's closer to a Gendarmerie than your typical local force, with responsibilities including CTW (including GSG9), riot control and UN missions. Half the helicopters it's replacing are earlier models of Super Puma (the rest are H155s).
 
TomcatViP said:
I don't think the French Gendarmerie or Italian Carabinieri have anything like that.
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In France, the GIGN and RAID use 6 or 7 Pumas from the GIH, provided by the army and air force... I wonder if these will eventually be replaced by NH90s, H225Ms, or H160Ms once the Pumas are retired ?

The H160Μ is also set to replace the Écureuil in the Gendarmerie, which is already a step up in weight class.

As for the difference between France/Italy and Germany ... couldn’t it simply come down to budget ? :D Ι'm sure the former would love to operate their how fleet of ~40 heavy helicopters.
Like in the US, where not every sheriff’s office can afford the luxury of operating 3 Super Pumas.
 

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The 160 is less chocking as designed to still fit in standard Helipads (think Hospitals, Costal rescue services etc...) despite the heavy price tag, but I am wondering how you can airlift patients from an Autobahn accident with something as big as the H225M.
 
Greetings from Dubai, was in business at air show until Thursday (sadly did not pop into show on tragic Friday with the Tejas crash)

Anyhow News including Moroccan order, beginning of last week

www.airbus.com

Morocco orders ten Airbus H225M helicopters

The Kingdom of Morocco has signed a contract with Airbus Helicopters for ten H225M helicopters. They will be operated by the Royal Moroccan Air Force.
www.airbus.com www.airbus.com

I also had Privileg Of,seeing and sitting in Kuwaiti Police new Aiebus Corprpstr Helicopters ACH225 at Airbus chalet so here are my photos

IMG_2480.jpeg IMG_2481.jpeg IMG_2483.jpeg IMG_2484.jpeg IMG_2479.jpeg

Cheers
 
In Romania :
https://www.opex360.com/2026/01/07/...es-helicopteres-h225m-caracal-aupres-dairbus/
Only, in October, Radu Miruță, then Minister of the Economy [since moved to Defence, ed.], specified that the Romanian General Staff did not want H215M but H225M Caracal, more efficient because of more recent design. Except that Airbus Helicopters did not offer a license to allow the local industry to assemble this type of aircraft.

"They are [the military] who go to the front lines, not us. We cannot force them to accept a model, even if it is produced here. It is up to them to decide whether they need it or not, "said Mr. Miruță.

In any case, the choice of the military was ratified by the Romanian government. This is indeed what the specialised site Defense Romania says, which was able to consult the list of equipment that Bucharest plans to acquire thanks to the 16.7 billion euros of loans granted by the European Commission at a very advantageous rate under the financial instrument SAFE [Security Action for Europe]. And there is talk of an envelope of one billion euros to acquire not only H225M Caracal but also 7-ton H175 transport helicopters. The number of devices to be acquired was not specified.
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There are also indications that the UAE could finally move ahead with the purchase of 12 Caracals.
www.latribune.fr

Hélicoptères Caracal : Les Émirats Arabes Unis et Airbus ont enterré la hache de guerre

Après plusieurs années de relations compliquées, Airbus Helicopters et Abu Dhabi tentent de trouver depuis quelques mois une voie de compromis pour finaliser les renégociations du contrat Caracal... signé en 2021.
www.latribune.fr www.latribune.fr
Caracal helicopters: The United Arab Emirates and Airbus have buried the hatchet

After several years of complicated relations, Airbus Helicopters and Abu Dhabi have been trying for a few months to find a way to compromise to finalise the renegotiations of the Caracal contract... signed in 2021.
Click to expand...

And in the Netherlands
www.nlr.org

NLR collaborates with Airbus on Caracal Helicopters - Nederlands Lucht- en Ruimtevaartcentrum

The Airbus H225M Caracal helicopters, set to be phased in from 2030, will replace the Cougar transport helicopters used by the Defence Helicopter Command (Defensie Helikopter Commando). Airbus’ versatile aircraft will be used in high risk operations by the Commando Corps (KCT) and the...
www.nlr.org www.nlr.org
 
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With the EU's SAFE funding, Romania has now sufficient budget to purchase 12 H225M helicopters… But Airbus has indicated that a full industrial partnership ( including a FAL in Brașov ) would require an order of 42 aircraft.
The participation of IAR Brașov in the H225M helicopter project is uncertain. Airbus is seeking an order of 42 aircraft, but Romania can only afford 12 units.

The Airbus – IAR Brașov partnership, aimed at involving the Ghimbav-based company in the manufacturing of the H225M military helicopter in Romania, is uncertain. The French are requesting an order of 42 units, but Romania only has the budget to purchase 12 aircraft under the SAFE program.

This requirement from the French side was announced by Airbus on March 24 in a press release.

“Romania is a strategic country for us. We are ready to expand our activities here by creating jobs in advanced technologies and building a strong supply chain that will serve both Romania and the global market. As part of the H225M project, which is the cornerstone of our commitment to Romania, full industrial cooperation will be established following an order of 42 aircraft,” said Georges Durdilly, CEO of Airbus Helicopters in Romania, according to the press release.

However, as early as January, the Minister of National Defence, Radu Miruță, told Defense Romania that Romania would acquire 12 H225 helicopters for a total of €850 million. He indicated that the military’s needs were more modest, but that financial resources do not allow for a larger-scale acquisition.

On that same occasion, he suggested that it is unlikely that the Romanian defense industry will take part in the production of the helicopters the country is preparing to acquire.

“Given the number of helicopters being purchased, it is not possible to transfer full production to Romania,” Mr. Miruță stated.
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brasovmetropolitan.ro

Implicarea IAR Brașov în proiectul elicopterului H 225M este incertă. Airbus vrea o comandă de 42 de aparate de zbor, România își permite doar 12 exemplare

Parteneriatul Airbus – IAR Brașov pentru implicarea companiei de la Ghimbav în realizarea elicopterului militar H 225M în România este incert. Francezii cer o comandă de 42 de unități, însă România este dispusă să cumpere doar 12 aparate de zbor, prin Programul SAFE. Cerința francezilor a fost...
brasovmetropolitan.ro brasovmetropolitan.ro


Also 3 H225 have just been ordered by Vietnam
www.airbus.com

Vietnam Helicopter Corporation bolsters offshore operations with Airbus H225 helicopter order

The Vietnam Helicopter Corporation (VNH)’s subsidiaries, VNH South and VNH North, have placed an order for three H225 helicopters for offshore operations.
www.airbus.com www.airbus.com
 

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