Airbus Helicopters As332 Super Puma

Twin Rotorcraft

The Airbus AS332 Super Puma and its military derivative, the AS532 Cougar, represent one of the most successful medium-lift helicopter families in service worldwide. Developed in the late 1970s as a stretched, more powerful evolution of the SA330 Puma, the Super Puma introduced twin Turbomeca Makila turboshaft engines, a four-blade composite main rotor, and significantly improved payload and range. The AS532 Cougar variant was specifically tailored for military operators, featuring reinforced airframes, defensive systems compatibility, and mission-specific avionics for roles ranging from tactical transport and combat search-and-rescue to special operations insertion. Spain's Ejército del Aire operates the type as the HD.21 and HT.21, while Germany's Bundespolizei flies the civilian AS332 for law enforcement and border patrol missions under registrations like D-HEGY. The Super Puma family has logged millions of flight hours across oil-and-gas offshore transport, search-and-rescue, and military airlift, though its safety record has faced scrutiny following several high-profile accidents in the North Sea energy sector during the 2010s. With a maximum cruise speed around 140 knots, a service ceiling near 15,000 feet, and a range exceeding 400 nautical miles with auxiliary tanks, the AS332/AS532 occupies a sweet spot between light utility helicopters and heavy-lift platforms like the CH-47 Chinook. Its spacious cabin accommodates up to 24 troops or 6,000 pounds of cargo, and the type remains in production under Airbus Helicopters as the H215 and H225 Super Puma variants. SkyMeter has tracked 11 flights across 3 airframes and 1 operators, covering distinct routes.