Acquisition of 30 Caracal Military Helicopters By Kuwait
(Source: French Ministry of Defence; issued Aug 09, 2016)
(Issued in French only; unofficial translation by Defense-Aerospace.com)
Kuwait has ordered 30 Airbus H725 Caracal helicopters for its Army and National Guard, becoming the seventh operator of this twin-engined multi-mission helicopter. (Airbus HC photo)
This contract, valued at over 1 billion euros, is part of the strategic relationship that Kuwait and France have built up over the more than 30 years that France has aligned itself alongside the Emirate, notably during the 1990 invasion of Kuwait. France continues to be tied to Kuwait by a bilateral defence agreement.
The contract confirms the high degree of confidence that Kuwait has in French systems, which have been combat-proven in the many theaters of operations on which they are used daily by French forces. It demonstrates the high level of this helicopter’s performance, and its alignment on the operational requirements of the armed forces and the National Guard of Kuwait.
French Minister of Defence Jean-Yves Le Drian stated “Kuwait’s selection once again demonstrates the cohesion of “Team France” and the quality of France’s defence industries. Through this decision, Kuwait has further reinforced the strategic partnership that has linked our countries for several decades, even as we are aligned together against Daesch in Iraq and Syria.”
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Kuwait Ministry of Defence Orders 30 H225M Caracal Helicopters
(Source: Airbus Helicopters; issued Aug. 09, 2016)
“We are greatly honored that the Kuwait Ministry of Defence has chosen the H225M Caracal as the best platform to fulfill its demanding operational requirements” said Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus Helicopters. “Our relationship with Kuwait dates back more than 40 years with Super Pumas, Pumas and Gazelles having been delivered to the Armed Forces of the State of Kuwait over the past decades. This H225M Caracal contract opens a new chapter in our cooperation. I would like to personally thank the Kuwait Air Force which placed its trust in our products to renew its helicopter fleet, and I am also grateful for the confidence of the Kuwait National Guard which has decided to create its helicopter squadron with the support of Airbus Helicopters”, Guillaume Faury added.
During the visit, Airbus Helicopters representatives recognized the key role played by French Minister of Defence Jean-Yves Le Drian who provided his continued support to the realization of this project, in line with the existing France-Kuwait strategic relationship.
Kuwait’s fleet of H225M Caracal will be used for a wide variety of missions such as combat search-and-rescue, naval operations, medical evacuation and military transportation. The helicopters will be operated by the Kuwait Air Force and the Kuwait National Guard. A combat-proven platform with exceptional payload, a world-class automatic flight control system and long endurance, the H225M Caracal has demonstrated its versatility and performance even in the harshest operational environments.
The H225M Caracal is the latest evolution of the successful Super Puma / Cougar family of military helicopters, with more than 500 units delivered worldwide. Kuwait is the latest nation to join the community of Caracal users with 138 H225M Caracal having been ordered so far by France, Brazil, Mexico, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Kuwait.
Airbus Helicopters, a division of Airbus Group, provides the most efficient civil and military helicopter solutions worldwide. Its in-service fleet includes nearly 12,000 helicopters operated by more than 3,000 customers in 154 countries. Airbus Helicopters employs more than 22,000 people worldwide and in 2015 generated revenues of 6.8 billion euros.
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