[Video] French EC-725 Caracal combat helicopters refuel from Italian KC-130J

April 13, 2014 Military Aviation

David Cenciotti

A stunning video shows HAAR (Helicopter Air-to-Air Refueling) from several unusual points of view.

From Apr. 7 to Apr. 11, 2014, the Eurocopter EC-725 Super Cougar (“Caracal”) of the Escadron d’Hélicoptères 1/67 “Pyrénées” from Cazaux have been involved in an aerial refueling campaign with an Italian Air Force KC-130J from the 46^ Brigata Aerea based at Pisa.

And the following video, filmed by the French Air Force’s Sirpa Air shows the French helos plugging into the Super Hercules‘s basket.

This is not the first time the French Caracals train for HAAR with the Italian Air Force KC-130J: the type performed the qualification with the Italian Hercules back in September 2010.

About David Cenciotti

David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.