Airbus has delivered a pair of H225M helicopters to the French Armament General Directorate (DGA). The twins are the first of eight aircraft ordered in 2021, the manufacturer confirmed on Friday.

According to the DGA, the H225Ms will be operated by France’s Air and Space Force, replacing Puma aircraft currently deployed in overseas territories including French Guiana, Djibouti, and New Caledonia. The service is harmonizing its fleet and the new helicopters will be used for missions such as search-and-rescue and utility flights.

The H225Ms, known as the Caracal in France, are equipped with Safran’s Euroflir 410 electro-optical system and the Sigma inertial navigation system. Other new equipment in the aircraft includes the Thales VUHF TRA6034 radio and the TSC4000 identification friend or foe transponder.

France was the launch customer for the H225M, and there are now more than 350 aircraft, including the civil H225, in service worldwide. Other military customers include Malaysia, Indonesia, Iraq, Thailand, Singapore, Mexico, the Netherlands, Kuwait, Brazil, and Hungary.

“They have proven on multiple occasions the benefit of this rotorcraft for combat, search-and-rescue, disaster management, and medical evacuation missions,” said Airbus Helicopters CEO Bruno Even. “The French Air and Space Force will benefit from all the innovations that have been implemented on the H225M since the helicopter started operations in 2006 with the French armed forces, further expanding…capability.”