2028: RNLAF Koninklijke Luchtmacht to get H225M Caracals, replacing Cougar AS-532U2s at Gilze-Rijen for special ops...

[Stratofreighter]

https://www.defensie.nl/actueel/nieuws/ ... -operaties
/
https://www-defensie-nl.translate.goog/ ... r_pto=wapp

Defense buys new helicopters for special operations

News item | 05-06-2023 | 4:00 pm

Defense is purchasing 14 new helicopters for special operations.

The aircraft follow the Cougar transport helicopters.

According to the current schedule, this will take place from the beginning of 2028.

This is what State Secretary Christophe van der Maat wrote to the House of Representatives today.

The new special operations helicopter.

The purchase is one of the measures with which the Ministry of Defense
is converting a squadron of the Defense Helicopter Command
into a Special Operations Force (SOF).

Strengthening SOF capacity for operations on land and at sea
is a spearhead of the Defense Memorandum published last year.


The new helicopters are of the type H225M Caracal.
This turned out to meet the requirements.

Defense buys them from the European manufacturer Airbus Helicopters.

Just like the Cougars, the aircraft will have Gilze-Rijen Air Base as their home base.

Included in the purchase is new mission equipment for the helicopters.

Temporary simulation capacity for education and training also falls within the project.


27 years in service

Cougar helicopters have been in service with the Ministry of Defense for 27 years,
including for the transport of troops, equipment and for the transport of wounded.

A number also operate as on-board helicopters from naval vessels.

The military organization also uses the aircraft as a firefighting helicopter.
Then a flexible water bag (bambi-bucket) hangs under the device.

The weapon system never received a major interim overhaul.

This was partly due to changing insights into how to keep the device in use.
An improvement project is currently underway.
That extends the operational life of the current 12 Cougars to 2030.

...more (mil/civ) helicopter news elsewhere on this forum messageboard thru
https://scramble.nl/community/messageboard/52 ,
the "Helispot" part...

[SquAdmin]

Well, now that the RNLAF is setting up a special ops division, I can suddenly understand why Embraer eyes the Netherlands as a potential Super Tucano customer.

[Canberra TT.18]

From the letter to Parlement
Schedule
The first H225M Caracal helicopters are expected to be delivered in early 2028. All fourteen helicopters will be delivered by the end of 2030. The Initial Operational Capability (IOC) date is foreseen early 2030 and the Fully Operational Capability (FOC) date early 2031. Around 2028, the Ministry of Defense will develop a divestment plan, which is expected to include part of the spare parts and test equipment of the Cougar for the Caracal can be reused.


Uit de brief aan de 2de kamer
Planning
De eerste H225M Caracal helikopters zullen naar verwachting begin 2028 worden geleverd. Eind 2030 zullen alle veertien helikopters zijn geleverd. De Initial Operational Capability (IOC) datum is voorzien begin 2030 en de Fully Operational Capability (FOC) datum begin 2031. Rond 2028 zal Defensie een afstotingsplan ontwikkelen, waarbij de verwachting is dat een deel van de reserve-onderdelen en testapparatuur van de Cougar voor de Caracal kan worden hergebruikt.

[Stratofreighter]

https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/1910210 ... ljard-euro

Several test flights have been carried out with helicopters in recent times.

In the end, only the Caracal helicopter from the European manufacturer Airbus and the American Black Hawk helicopter were in the race.

"The Caracal has a spacious cabin area that can be flexibly arranged
and has the right equipment to carry out all kinds of special operations,"
says the VVD state secretary about the final choice.

[Canberra TT.18]

Funny/remarkable
The Blackhawk beaten by the Cougar/Caracal for a second time (in the Netherlands).

[Stratofreighter]

https://www.janes.com/osint-insights/de ... orces-unit

The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) has stood up the new unit to operate the Airbus Helicopters H225M Caracal multirole rotorcraft that it ordered for its special operations forces (SOF) role.

The Dutch Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 1 October 2024
that 300 Special Operations Squadron was formed at Gilze-Rijen Air Base in southern Netherlands.

The unit is part of Defence Helicopter Command.

https://www.hartpunkt.de/300-special-op ... nente-auf/

https://www.defensie.nl/actueel/nieuws/ ... elikopters
/
https://www-defensie-nl.translate.goog/ ... r_pto=wapp

01-10-2024 | 16:58

Troops conducting special operations can now have their 'own' helicopters.
They are housed at the 300 Special Operations Squadron at Gilze-Rijen Air Base.
The unit of the Defense Helicopter Command was established today.

The tasks of the squadron personnel consist of special reconnaissance, offensive actions and military support.
This is always done in cooperation with colleagues from the Korps Commandotroepen and the Maritime Special Operations Forces.

The squadron must operate under the most difficult conditions.
For that purpose, it will receive its own 'intelligence' capacity and new helicopters.
The latter are of the H225M Caracal type.

Defence is also investing in new infrastructure, vehicles and means of communication.
Everything to allow the unit to operate and train at the highest possible quality.

In recent years, 300 'Cougar' Squadron has been deployed for a variety of tasks.
From extinguishing large fires to foreign missions.

The transition to a SOF squadron has quite an impact on the personnel
who have to adopt a new 'warrior mindset'.

Eichelsheim realizes that this is not easy.

[Rico1969]

Cougar S-458 was noted at Airbus Helicopters Marseille on September 30, for maintenance.

[RobertMB]

What will be the serial/registration letter for the (14?) H225M Caracal helicopters?

Greetz Robert

[TF-104G]

What will be the serial/registration letter for the (14?) H225M Caracal helicopters?

Greetz Robert

As is most likely the case with the Cougar, parts of the c/n

[Bunzing]

What will be the serial/registration letter for the (14?) H225M Caracal helicopters?

Greetz Robert

I expert the S- to be used again, followed by the last 3 digits of the c/n. Letters have been immediately re-used for aircraft of a similar type/role, e.g. Auster and Piper Super Cub (R-) and KDC-10 and A330 MRTT (T-). After all, the Cougar and Caracal are both developed from the Super Puma.

[Canberra TT.18]

Order reduced from 14 to 12 H225M
Because the equipment integration is more complex and expensive.
Delivery 2030-2032.
Letter with information was sent to '2de Kamer' yesterday by ministry of defence.

Uit de brief

Kwantitatieve behoefte
Om te voldoen aan haar behoefte, verwerft Defensie twaalf Caracal helikopters, inclusief de vereiste missie-uitrusting om SOF-operaties uit te voeren. Defensie verwerft voldoende missie-uitrustingen om negen toestellen uit te rusten. Deze uitrusting kan worden in- en uitgebouwd, waardoor Defensie altijd de beschikking heeft over negen inzetbare toestellen in de juiste configuratie.
Daarnaast verwerft Defensie simulatiecapaciteit voor opleiding, omscholing en training tijdens de operationele transitieperiode (2029-2032).
In de A/B-brief kondigde Defensie aan veertien helikopters te willen verwerven, waarmee zij twee SOF-missies gelijktijdig kan ondersteunen voor een periode van zes maanden. In de D-fase is gebleken dat hiervoor het budget niet toereikend is vanwege extra kosten voor het aanpassen van de Caracal helikopter aan de eisen van Defensie voor SOF-operaties. Vanuit commercieel vertrouwelijk oogpunt, is financiële informatie opgenomen in bijgaande commercieel vertrouwelijke bijlage.

De reductie naar twaalf helikopters betekent dat één SOF-missie langdurend en mogelijk een tweede SOF-missie kortdurend kan worden ondersteund. Met deze balans tussen de minimaal benodigde configuratie en het aantal te verwerven toestellen kan effectief invulling worden gegeven aan de SOF-taakstelling, maar met een beperking in het gewenste voortzettingsvermogen.

In de behoeftestelling heeft Defensie een aantal eisen gesteld met een innovatief karakter. Een voorbeeld hiervan is Helicopter Air tot Air Refueling (HAAR). Deze capaciteit zorgt ervoor dat helikopters in de lucht kunnen worden bijgetankt. Deze capaciteit is nieuw voor Nederland en vergroot de mogelijkheden van het optreden met de Caracal helikopter omdat het meer handelingsopties in de planning en uitvoering van SOF-operaties geeft. Doordat de Caracal helikopter commercieel wordt aangeschaft en niet via Foreign Military Sales (FMS), biedt zowel de contractvorm als het platform mogelijkheden om innovatieve oplossingen snel door te voeren. De Embraer C-390M kan technisch geschikt worden gemaakt om in deze HAAR capaciteit te ondersteunen.

Planning
De eerste H225M Caracal helikopters worden naar verwachting vanaf begin 2030 geleverd. Begin 2032 zullen alle twaalf helikopters zijn geleverd. Deze planning wijkt af van de planning uit de A/B-brief. De belangrijkste redenen hiervoor zijn de technische complexiteit van integratie van de grote hoeveelheid missie-uitrusting en de grote druk op de productielijnen van de Caracal vanwege internationale orders.

De helikopters moeten na levering voor een periode van 30 jaar operationeel relevant blijven. Om dit te waarborgen, is Defensie voornemens om zowel block upgrades als een Midlife Update (MLU) door te voeren. De inhoud hiervan is afhankelijk van technologische ontwikkelingen en veranderingen van het dreigingsbeeld.

[SquAdmin]

This seems to imply that the RNLAF will also acquire AAR pods for the C-390's.

[Warthog 71]

This seems to imply that the RNLAF will also acquire AAR pods for the C-390's.

Literally it says that the Embraer C-390M can be made technically suitable to support this HAAR capacity. It does not say the Embraers were purchased including this function, so it leaves room for speculation Patrick. But I sure hope it will be bought including AAR capacity!

[SniperEye]

As always more expensive, less numbers. The number one lesson I learned during my university study is that the requirements will determine the price.

So the more requirements, the more complexity the higher the price.

[Stratofreighter]

Scramble:
https://scramble.nl/military-news/contr ... cal-signed

Another source:
https://www.flightglobal.com/defence/ne ... 06.article

Signed at the Euronaval show in Paris on 5 November 2024
and formalising a selection made in June 2023,
the contract will see the Caracals delivered between 2030 and 2032.

At the time of the H225M’s selection for the Dutch Medium Utility Helicopter requirement, the future fleet size was expected to total 14 aircraft.

“However, during the procurement phase it became apparent that the budget did not allow this,”
the nation’s defence ministry says.
“This was partly because the required mission equipment turned out to be more expensive than expected.”