Image source: topwar.ru
British Air Force Puma HC2
At the end of March 2025, the British Air Force's Puma helicopter fleet will be completely decommissioned after almost 54 years of service, which began in 1971. The farewell flights were performed recently by several machines of this type.
Initially, 53 copies were purchased, which received the designation Puma HC1 from the country's Air Force and are classified as a "medium support helicopter". By 2015, 24 of them had been upgraded and became known as the Puma HC2. According to the Ministry of Defense, as of April 2024, there were a total of 20 Puma HC2 units in service, of which 17 were in active service.
Their decommissioning has been planned for a long time – in 2021, a tender was launched to find a replacement. However, it has not yet been decided which car to purchase. The main difficulty is related to the fact that only £1 billion is allocated for 44 helicopters, which does not suit potential suppliers. In general, the Ministry of Defense and the British authorities are interested in more ambitious and expensive programs.: First, it was the construction of two Queen Elizabeth–class aircraft carriers, now it is the Tempest 6th generation fighter program.
Image source: topwar.ru
It is noteworthy that the decommissioned British helicopters have already been eyed in Ukraine, without particularly going into details of their technical condition.
- it is said in the Ukrainian press.
As indicated, the British Puma HC2 is significantly fresher than the 8 Puma units received from Portugal in 2024, because they were upgraded in the 2010s, and besides, there are quite a significant number of them. However, no decisions have been announced yet. However, London has already handed over Sea King helicopters to the Ukrainian Armed Forces without any announcements.
