The Westland Puma HC2 currently serving with 33 and 230 Squadron at RAF Benson, and 84 Squadron at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, will be withdrawn from service on March 31, 2025. Ian Harding provides a brief review of the helicopter at the end of an illustrious 54 years operational career which commenced with the types first operational flight on September 29, 1971. Throughout this period, the Puma, its aircrew and maintainers have been deployed on numerous operations including combat operations, exercises, provided humanitarian relief, and during more recent times, provided search and rescue capability and fulfilled fire-fighting duties. The Puma had become a genuine ‘jack of all trades’ and will therefore be sadly missed.

RAF Benson Station and Force Commanders regularly acknowledged over the years that right from the early days of the troubles in Northern Ireland through to the end of combat operations in Iraq, the Puma really was the backbone of the nations ‘medium’ lift helicopter capability. As a HC1 (Mark 1) variant, the helicopter was used to support humanitarian relief operations in Mozambique, supported NATO operations in Bosnia and Kosovo, British and US troops in both Gulf Wars, and in truth, had pretty much been everywhere British troops have been during the last five decades. In more recent years, the upgraded Puma HC2 has been called to fill capability gaps such as those in Cyprus following the retirement of the RAF’s Bell Griffin HAR.2 fleet in 2023. I am sure some will argue that the aircraft is still fit for purpose today but that discussion is for another time.

Over the years I have had the privilege to spend time with Puma air and ground crew who always highlighted the positive elements of the helicopters capabilities. These included the fact that it was a good troop carrier, it had good load carrying capacity internally and externally; in essence it was a good ‘workhorse’. Other niche operational characteristics of the Puma is that it could land in smaller and tighter field locations than other helicopters, it is a relatively ‘fast’ helicopter, plus it can be quickly ‘stowed’ away with two aircraft able to be transported in a Boeing C-17A Globemaster III. It has a relatively small foot print! These are major strengths in today’s operational environment which begs the question why retire now the Puma with no replacement on the horizon!

Puma Upgrade

In service from late 1971, the UK Ministry of Defence awarded Eurocopter (now Airbus Helicopters) with a contract in 2007 valued at £220 million (250 million euros) to upgrade 28 of the Force’s 36 Puma HC1’s to HC2 standard under a Life Extension Programme (LEP). This work was scheduled to be completed by the end of 2014. Eventually 24 aircraft were upgraded with the final delivery taking place during 2015. The Officer Commanding, 33 Squadron at the time delivered XW232; the first Puma HC1 to be delivered to the Eurocopter facility at Kidlington in Oxfordshire, on October 1, 2009. The first flight of the upgraded Puma HC2 took place at Eurocopter’s facility in Marignane, France on July 23, 2011. The major platform upgrades were then completed at Airbus Helicopters Romanian Division (IAR) at Brasov before final modifications were made at Kidlighton prior to final handover.

There is no question in an operational sense that the LEP breathed new life into the Puma and the Force with the main elements of the upgrade comprising; New Turbomeka Makila 1A1 engines (replacing the former Turbomca Turbo 3-C4 turbine engines). Each engine was capable of delivering an additional 500shp over their predecessors, while at the same time reducing fuel consumption by 25%. As a consequence, the aircraft’s performance and payload increased substantially particularly in hot and high conditions which was one of the key reasons for the upgrade. In real terms the Puma 2 (as it was often referred) was able to lift the same payload (up to 16 fully equipped troops) in the majority of hot and high conditions as they would eventually experience on exercise in temperate climates like Brunei and Belize with 1563 Flight. In Belize the Puma replaced the Army Air Corps Bell 212’s when they were withdrawn from service. This greater capability, together with an extra fuel tank, effectively doubled the aircraft’s operational range. The ‘modern’, more powerful engines also represented a dramatic step change having been taken from a 9.6 tonne Super Puma and fitted to a 7.4 tonne helicopter which helped the ‘new’ helicopter to carry a greater payload, further and with increased safety.

-Puma 2 also received a more advanced avionics, glass cockpit and a digital autopilot. Crew size remained the same. There is no question that this new cockpit greatly enhanced the crews tactical capacity, capability and the effectiveness of the aircraft. Workload and situational awareness also naturally benefitted. Ballistic protection and a new defensive aids suite (DAS) were also added. The upper section of the helicopter, fuel system, air intake and tail boom all received structural modifications. These modifications took an estimated 18 months to complete.

In Service

These changes all helped make the Puma 2 ideally suited to both an urban role and wider tactical deployment.

By early 2015, 33 Squadron (established on the Puma HC1 in 1970) had all its Puma 2 Qualified Helicopter Instructors in place, front-line aircrew trained, and Initial Operational Capability (IOC) was achieved. By then, operational test training had seen aircraft and crew already participate in Joint Warrior 14-1 and Hot Blade 2014 (Ovar, Portugal). In March 2015, the Puma Force deployed to Afghanistan, and during 2016, the Puma replaced the Lynx in Kenya (British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK)) providing Casualty Evacuation (CASEVAC).

At RAF Benson in Oxfordshire, 33 and 230 Squadron (established on the Puma in 1972) shared a common pool of the Puma HC2 fleet. On September 28, 2011, the Puma celebrated its 40th anniversary with XW224 again receiving special tail markings for its 50th anniversary celebrations.

Over its lifetime, the Puma has been seen in many different guises which included being painted ‘Pink’ during gulf war operations. Other noteworthy schemes included that worn by ZJ955/P in 2014. ‘Black Peter’ received an all over black scheme with a Far East Asia Command Roundal to help commemorate 230 Squadron’s 95th anniversary and importantly, the loss of similarly painted Shorts Sunderland which was lost when flown by the Officer Commanding 230 Squadron. Later during 2018, XW224 received winter ‘Tiger’ scheme markings to help 230 Squadron celebrate its centenary.

With the end approaching, two Puma HC2’s participated in Exercise Kukri Dawn during February 2025 operating alongside two Chinook HC6’s. The Puma also transported the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his recent highly publicised meeting with His Majesty The King at Sandringham in Norfolk. On March 6, 2025, XW224 made its final public appearance at RAF Northolt’s 32nd Night Photo shoot which was attended by more than 350 admiring aviation enthusiasts.

On 26-27 March, 2025, three Puma HC2’s set off from RAF Benson at 0930 hours precisely in glorious sunshine to embark on their final farewell flight around the UK. This epic two-day journey saw the aircraft visit/flypast close on 35 different locations of significance including current RAF bases, Northern Ireland, Kensington Palace, operational and training locations such as Cranwell, Halton, Honington, Shawbury and Stanta training area, plus others like Boscombe Down and Airbus Kidlington; both critical to the development of the Puma Force and Fleet. This very public aerial finale finished when the three aircraft returned to RAF Benson around 1800 hours on March 27. In addition, 84 Squadron based at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus marked the occasion with its own two-ship flypast over the island on March 27. Quite a send off for one the UK’s most durable military helicopters.

You can find out more about the RAF Puma HC2 Retirement here: https://www.raf.mod.uk/aircraft/puma-hc2/

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