Introduced on the Dubai Air Present, 10 H225M helicopters will be part of the Royal Moroccan Air Pressure and start to interchange its ageing Puma fleet within the fight search and rescue function.
Becoming a member of over 360 H225 and H225M helicopters in service worldwide, Morocco’s ten examples of the plane might be fitted with Safran Euroflir 410 electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) digital camera turrets, double hoists, and a searchlight. Crew-served weapons may be mounted for self-defence functions, and the helicopters can even be geared up with an digital warfare self-protection suite.
Although the H225M, beforehand generally known as the Eurocopter EC725, can hint its lineage via the AS532 Cougar again to the SA330 Puma that it’s going to substitute, the brand new plane is a large leap forwards by way of expertise. Fashionable avionics, new engines with full authority digital engine management (FADEC), and a 5 blade composite important rotor enable for better efficiency and simpler operation whereas preserving a lot of the familiarity and performance of the workhorse Puma design. The Royal Moroccan Air Pressure (RMAF) has now operated the unique Puma for over forty years.
#Moroccan #AirForce 🇲🇦 #AfricanLion2025 🏜 Puma Transport / Logistic Helicopter #Morocco #Maroc pic.twitter.com/JFOFOW1hYJ
— ۞ Kingdom of Morocco Armies-جيوش المملكة المغربية (@KOMARMIES) Could 25, 2025
“We’re honoured that Morocco has chosen to interchange its legacy Puma fleet with the H225M,” mentioned Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters. “That is one other step within the partnership we now have been constructing over the a long time with the Kingdom of Morocco. The H225M is having fun with a robust momentum in the marketplace. This plane is a reference for advanced missions in robust environments. This order solidifies the H225M’s popularity because the helicopter of selection for fight search and rescue and particular operations the world over.”
The H225/H225M household has amassed virtually 980,000 flight hours worldwide, working in army service with France, the Netherlands, Hungary, Brazil, Mexico, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Iraq and Kuwait.
Within the civilian world, the H225 is a well-liked selection for the demanding function of flying offshore oil and fuel employees to their respective platforms, although a deadly crash in 2016 noticed confidence within the helicopter shake. The sort moreover serves with Coast Guard models in Iceland and Japan. Within the latter, specifically geared up H225s act as VIP transports within the Emperor’s Royal Flight.
Japan’s largest Tremendous Puma operator @JCG_koho will develop its present #H225 fleet to 18. 🚁🇯🇵The brand new H225s might be devoted for maritime legislation enforcement, territorial coastal actions and rescue missions in Japan. ⚓️🛟
— Airbus Helicopters (@AirbusHeli) April 11, 2024
The RMAF at present has 24 Puma helicopters, so the brand new H225M order is not going to be sufficient for a like-for-like alternative. Nevertheless, it’s unknown how most of the RMAF’s Pumas are available for operations, so the supply of latest helicopters with increased availability might have been assessed as offering an equal functionality. Alongside the Puma, Morocco flies the Airbus H135M, CH-47D Chinook, and varied Bell fashions within the utility/transport function. The Royal Moroccan Navy’s helicopter fleet is break up between the Bell 412 and the Airbus AS565 Panther.
In 2024, Airbus Helicopters revealed plans for the development of a devoted buyer centre in Morocco which can accommodate the servicing of the number of Airbus Helicopters-serviced varieties in Moroccan service. The producer hopes that the power will develop to turn into a serious hub for upkeep, restore, and overhaul (MRO) of Airbus Helicopters merchandise all through West Africa.
Regional Disputes
Morocco’s relationship with neighbor and fellow West African nation Algeria has lengthy been strained. In 2021, diplomatic relations between the 2 international locations had been withdrawn utterly, with the Algerian President claiming their disputes had reached the “level of no return”. Many disagreements are associated to the standing of the Western Sahara territory, the place Morocco contends in opposition to the Algeria-aligned Sahrawi Republic for sovereignty. The United Nations at present recognises Western Sahara as a non-self governing territory occupied by Morocco.
Algeria, a bigger and extra populous nation, boasts a robust armed forces that has bucked the worldwide pattern and leaned even nearer to Russia following its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Algerian Air Pressure operates a few of Russia’s newest plane designs, together with the Su-30 and Su-35, and the nation has additionally lengthy been rumored as the primary abroad buyer for each the Su-34 strike plane and fifth-generation Su-57. Although nonetheless working a lot of Western helicopter varieties, the majority of Algeria’s helicopter fleet comes from Russian producer Mil.
The Royal Moroccan Air Pressure, in the meantime, operates a modest fleet of 23 F-16 Combating Falcons. As a part of modernisation efforts, these are supposed to be upgraded to a extra fashionable normal, whereas 25 further Block 70/72 jets are additionally deliberate. Morocco’s ties with the USA gives a stage of safety, and it’s classed by NATO as a serious non-NATO ally.
Tensions between Morocco and Algeria, although at present nonetheless avoiding armed battle, present little signal of enchancment and plenty of of those that monitor the area have tried to attract consideration to the potential flashpoint – describing it as akin to a quickly brewing African Chilly Conflict.
