French Army Gazelles leave Afghanistan
French Army Gazelle helicopters have left Afghanistan as part of the drawdown of French combat units in the country.
The four helicopters operated as part of the French Helicopter Battalion (BATHELICO) out of Kabul International Airport from where they supported troops working in the Kapisa Province and Surobi District.
The Gazelles were flown out of Kabul onboard an An-124 transport aircraft on 7 October back to Istres AB in Southern France ending five years of Gazelle operations in Afghanistan.
During the deployment, the Gazelles conducted 7,000 flight hours during 5,000 missions and fired some 60 HOT guided missiles in support
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
Read this Article
Get access to this article with a Free Basic Account
- Original curated content, daily across air, land and naval domains
- 1 free story per week
- Personalised news alerts
- Daily and weekly newsletters
- Free magazine subscription to all our titles
- Downloadable equipment data handbooks
- Distribution rights (Corporate only)
Unlimited Access
Access to all our premium news as a Premium News 365 Member. Corporate subscriptions available.
- Original curated content, daily across air, land and naval domains
- 14-day free trial (cancel at any time)
- Unlimited access to all published premium news
- 10-year news archive access
- Downloadable equipment data handbooks
- Distribution rights (Corporate only)
More from Defence Helicopter
-
Royal Navy helicopter crews transfer control of UAS in European first
Using technology supplied by QinetiQ, two Royal Navy helicopter crews successfully exchanged control of a UAS while in flight.
-
Leonardo wins Canadian helicopter upgrade programme
The upgrade contract will ensure that the Candian helicopters are compliant with future technological requirements.
-
Guatemala receives Bell Subaru helicopters
The latest version of the Bell 412 helicopter has improved performance and weight capacity and will support Guatemala in various missions.
-
Algeria expresses interest in AW249 while AW139 deal remains in limbo
Leonardo and Algeria hope to seal the AW139 deal in 2023 while Italy and the North African country further strengthen defence ties.
-
Nigeria to receive new attack helicopters
The Nigerian Air Force is to receive more than 50 attack air assets to strengthen its ability to fight insecurity within its borders.
-
Royal Navy upgrades Merlin helicopters
The Royal Navy's amphibious helicopters have received an improved defensive aid suit and Merlin pilots can now train in a synthetic training environment.