The EC725 Caracals of Escadron d’Hélicoptères 1/67 ‘Pyrénées’ are the personnel r ecovery experts of France’s Armée de l’Air. Their crews are specialized in flying behind enemy lines so as to rescue personnel before enemy forces can get to them.
WITH ONLY A single squadron of EC725 Caracals, you’ve got to be at the top of your game to make the grade at the Armée de l’Air’s (AdlA’s) EH 1/67 at Base Aérienne (BA) 120 Cazaux. The unit is part of the French Air Force’s commitment to the crack French special forces: the Commandement des Opérations Spéciales (COS). As a result the Caracal is a very special beast, optimized for long-range missions and bristling with technology.
The preferred choice for supporting firepower in the personnel recovery (PR) mission is the EC665 Tigre from the Aviation Légère de l’Armée de Terre (ALAT). However, the Caracal can refuel in flight, whereas the Tigre cannot. This means the Caracal often finds itself alone, able to provide fire support and protect itself in the absence of the Tigre. Before 2017, the only armament options for the French Caracals were on-board sharpshooters and the FN Herstal 7.62mm MAG-58 generalpurpose machine gun. The ALAT and AdlA operational test …
