Morocco orders Caracal helicopters as French arms purchases reach €532 million

Morocco ordered Airbus H225M Caracal military helicopters under a contract that took effect in 2025, France’s Armed Forces Ministry said in its annual report to Parliament on French arms exports.

Moroccan orders placed with French defense companies reached €532.1 million in 2025, bringing their cumulative value over the past decade to €1.325 billion.

The report does not disclose how many Caracal helicopters Morocco ordered or provide the contract’s individual value.

The €532.1 million figure covers all Moroccan defense orders registered with French companies during the year and should not be attributed solely to the helicopter purchase.

French companies delivered €83.3 million in military equipment to Morocco during 2025, while authorities approved 42 export licenses, according to the report.

The H225M is a twin-engine, multirole military helicopter built by Airbus Helicopters for tactical transport, special operations, combat search and rescue and medical evacuation.

Airbus specifications show that the aircraft can carry up to 28 fully equipped troops or 11 stretchers with four medical attendants. It has a standard range of 920 kilometers, a maximum speed of 324 kilometers per hour and an external cargo capacity of 4,750 kilograms.

The helicopter can also operate in severe weather and at night and may be fitted with missile-warning equipment, countermeasures, machine guns, rockets or guided weapons.

France recorded €21.2 billion in new arms orders worldwide in 2025. Major contracts included 26 Rafale fighter aircraft for India, two Scorpène Evolved submarines for Indonesia and Caesar artillery systems for several European countries.