French Army grounds Cougars
The French Army has grounded its fleet of Eurocopter Cougars following an accident off the coast of Gabon that killed eight.
Two soldiers survived the accident which happened shortly after the helicopter, carrying 10 soldiers, including six special forces paratroopers took off from the French helicopter carrier La Foudre during joint military exercises with the Gabon armed forces at the weekend.
The Cougar came down off Nyogne, a village between the west African country's capital, Libreville, and the oil port of Port Gentil.
The wreckage lies in 35 metres of water, and will be raised in the next few days.
The French military has temporarily grounded its fleet of 17 Cougar helicopters until the investigation determines whether they have a technical fault.
"This is a precautionary step that is routinely taken every time an incident takes place on a aircraft," said armed forces spokesman Colonel Benoit Royal.
The French army said it could draw on its 95 Puma and eight Caracal helicopters while the Cougars, which have been in service for an average of 16 years, are grounded.
More from Defence Helicopter
-
![Germany to send WS-61 Westland Sea King helicopters to Ukraine]()
Germany to send WS-61 Westland Sea King helicopters to Ukraine
Germany has committed to sending Ukraine six of its 21 retiring WS-61 Westland Sea King multirole, amphibious helicopters.
-
![Boeing secures $271 million to advance modernisation of US Special Operations' MH-47G Chinook]()
Boeing secures $271 million to advance modernisation of US Special Operations' MH-47G Chinook
Boeing has clinched a major contract modification to further its backing of the US Special Operations Command’s MH-47G Chinook aircraft modernisation effort.
-
![Dubai Airshow 2023: South Korean homegrown helicopters make international debut]()
Dubai Airshow 2023: South Korean homegrown helicopters make international debut
Two KAI helicopters, the KUH-1E utility helicopter and the Light Attack Helicopter (LAH), have taken centre stage at the Dubai Airshow 2023.
-
![Italian Navy receives final NH90 helicopter]()
Italian Navy receives final NH90 helicopter
The Italian Navy now boasts a fleet of 56 NH90 helicopters comprising 46 SH-90As and 10 MH-90As.
-
![Argentina seeks AW109 and CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters]()
Argentina seeks AW109 and CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters
The Argentinian Air Force (FAA) and the Argentinian Naval Aviation Command (COAN) are looking for options to upgrade their helicopter fleets.
-
![DSEI 2023: Lockheed to produce about 40% of Black Hawks on UK soil if it wins NMH contest]()
DSEI 2023: Lockheed to produce about 40% of Black Hawks on UK soil if it wins NMH contest
Lockheed Martin promises a boost to the British job market and export opportunities, while strengthening ties with Poland and positioning the UK for a future in rotorcraft technology in the event of a New Medium Helicopter competition triumph.
