French Gazelle down in North Africa, crew rescued

A French Aerospatiale SA341 Gazelle observation and light attack helicopter crashed during operations in North Africa in mid-June.

A French Army Gazelle was shot down during operations in North Africa, although all three personnel onboard were immediately rescued. (IHS Markit/Patrick Allen)

The French Army Light Aviation (Aviation Légère de L'Armée de Terre: ALAT) helicopter was reportedly hit by small-arms fire while flying near the border of Mali and Niger under the auspices of Operation 'Barkhane’. All three personnel onboard were immediately rescued.

Following a controlled crash landing, the two pilots were extracted by being strapped to the landing gear of an Airbus Tiger attack helicopter. The third person, a special forces soldier, destroyed the damaged Gazelle before being exfiltrated in another helicopter.

France has been engaged in a counter-terrorism campaign throughout the Sahel-Sahara region of northern Africa since 2012, with helicopters supporting the core of combat and air mobility operations.

In an area of operations that covers the G5 Sahel countries (and former French colonies) of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger, which is about 3,200 km across and wider than Europe, the French military deployed on Operation ‘Serval’ and latterly Operation ’Barkhane’ have been largely dependent on the helicopters provided mainly by ALAT.

The French force of approximately 4,500 troops based in and around northern Mali primarily is supported by 18 ALAT and French Air Force (Armée de l’Air: AdlA) Airbus Helicopters Tiger, Aerospatiale Gazelle, NHIndustries NH90, Aerospatiale Puma, and Airbus Helicopters Caracal helicopters, as well as by three UK Royal Air Force (RAF) Chinooks. These are supported by multinational helicopters assigned to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).