The SA 330 Puma is a French-designed twin-engine medium-lift helicopter family built for troop transport, casualty evacuation, logistics, search-and-rescue, and utility missions. Cataloged conflict rows cover Argentine Puma use in the Falklands War, RAF support-helicopter use in the Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq, plus Portugal's late-2024 transfer of stored Puma helicopters to Ukrainian forces, while the record separates the original SA 330 family from the later Super Puma/Cougar successor page.
Argentine Army Aviation SA330L Pumas were documented in the Falklands theater, with multiple aircraft lost during the war; museum material also records an Argentine Coast Guard SA330 damaged by British naval gunfire, abandoned near Port Stanley, and captured in June 1982.
RAF coverage of Operation Granby says RAF Chinooks and Pumas from the Helicopter Support Force flew sorties to land British Special Forces behind Iraqi lines and later delivered food and aid to displaced refugees.
RAF and UK government accounts say three RAF Puma HC2 helicopters served in Kabul from March 2015 during Operation TORAL, moving personnel and equipment for UK and NATO forces and supporting the NATO Security Quick Reaction Force.
UK Ministry of Defence and Hansard records place RAF Puma helicopters in Iraq in 2007, including two Pumas that crashed in April and Puma ZA938 supporting UK operations as part of a helicopter formation delivering troops in November.
Portugal's March 2025 Ukraine-support list records Puma helicopters delivered in the fourth quarter of 2024, and Ukrainian defense reporting identifies the package as eight Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma helicopters for Ukrainian forces.
Role detailsThe SA 330 family is best treated as a support helicopter rather than a dedicated attack platform. RAF material describes the Puma HC2 in tactical troop movement, weapons and ammunition movement, stores transport, casualty extraction, medical emergency response, non-combatant evacuation, humanitarian relief, and disaster-relief roles.
RAF payload guidance lists 16 passengers, 12 fully equipped troops, or up to 2 tonnes of freight carried internally, underslung, or in a mixed load.
The same RAF capability summary says the aircraft can be fitted with up to six stretchers for casualty-evacuation or medical emergency response missions.
Specialist and museum sources document Argentine SA330L/SA330 use, losses, and capture evidence in the 1982 Falklands War.
RAF Operation Granby coverage says Pumas inserted British Special Forces behind Iraqi lines and later delivered food and aid to displaced refugees.
RAF reporting says Pumas based at Kabul International Airport moved personnel and equipment around urban, mountainous, and desert terrain for UK and NATO forces.
Hansard records Puma ZA938 supporting UK operations in Iraq as part of a formation delivering troops to a landing site in November 2007.
The Ukraine row records transfer to Ukraine, not independently verified combat sorties by Ukrainian SA 330 crews.
Sources: RAF Puma HC2; SA330L Puma in Aviacion de Ejercito Argentino; The Helicopter Museum Falklands War; RAF Operation Granby Puma Sorties; RAF Puma Afghanistan Return; RAF Puma ZA938 Board of Inquiry; Portugal Military Support to Ukraine; Defense Express Portugal SA 330 Puma Delivery.
This page covers the original SA 330 Puma line, including Westland-built RAF Pumas and license/upgrade branches such as IAR 330 references. The later Super Puma combat-support family is represented by a separate linked catalog record because its conflict evidence and specifications are materially different.
SKYbrary identifies the Aérospatiale SA-330 Puma as a four-blade, twin-engine medium transport/utility helicopter originally manufactured by Sud Aviation.
Westland production and later HC.Mk 2 upgrades make the British Puma branch prominent, but it remains part of the SA 330 family lineage.
Use the Super Puma combat-support helicopter entry for later-family conflict rows rather than attaching them to this original SA 330 page.
Sources: SKYbrary SA-330 Puma; RAF Puma HC2.
The record covers the original SA 330 Puma family and license/upgrade branches, not the later AS332 Super Puma successor family except as a linked successor.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
| SA 330B | French Army production branch | The SA 330 design entered French and export service as a medium utility helicopter before later derivative families appeared. Sources: RAF Puma HC2 |
| SA 330E / Puma HC Mk 1 | Westland-built RAF branch | The RAF history says Westland built 48 Puma HC Mk 1 aircraft after an initial SA330 delivery to the United Kingdom. Sources: RAF Puma HC2 |
| Puma HC.Mk 2 | Upgraded RAF support-helicopter configuration | The RAF describes the HC.Mk 2 as a major upgrade of 24 airframes with Makila engines, digital avionics, secure communications, improved self-protection, and greater range than the HC.Mk 1. Sources: RAF Puma HC2 |
| IAR 330 Puma | Romanian license-production and modernization branch | IAR says it produced Puma helicopters under Aerospatiale license and lists IAR330 Puma modernization programs including SOCAT, SM, Naval, NATO, and VIP configurations. Sources: IAR General Information, SKYbrary SA-330 Puma |
 | Successor family | The linked catalog entry covers the later Super Puma combat-support branch rather than the original SA 330 airframe. Sources: RAF Puma HC2 |
The SA 330 family is primarily a support-helicopter line; the documented RAF HC.Mk 2 armament fit is a defensive machine-gun installation rather than a dedicated attack-helicopter package.
| Carried item | Item type | Carriage evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Defensive machine-gun fit | The RAF Puma HC.Mk 2 specification lists two 7.62 mm GPMGs. Sources: RAF Puma HC2 |
RAF type history says Sud-Aviation developed the SA300 medium transport helicopter in 1965 and that it formed the basis of the SA330 Puma.
Sources: RAF Puma HC2
The RAF history records an SA330 delivery to the United Kingdom in 1968, followed by Westland production of Puma HC Mk 1 aircraft.
Sources: RAF Puma HC2
The RAF says the Puma entered service with 33 Squadron in June 1971 and with 230 Squadron in January 1972.
Sources: RAF Puma HC2
Helis.com records Argentine Army SA330L Puma losses during the Malvinas/Falklands War, while The Helicopter Museum describes an Argentine Coast Guard SA330 damaged, abandoned, and captured near Port Stanley.
Sources: SA330L Puma in Aviacion de Ejercito Argentino, The Helicopter Museum Falklands War
RAF anniversary coverage says Puma helicopters from the Helicopter Support Force flew missions to insert British Special Forces behind Iraqi lines during Operation Granby and later helped deliver food and aid to displaced refugees.
Sources: RAF Operation Granby Puma Sorties
UK Ministry of Defence and Hansard records document RAF Puma losses and troop-delivery support in Iraq during 2007.
Sources: UK MOD Puma Helicopters Iraq Fatality Notice, RAF Puma ZA938 Board of Inquiry
After Eurocopter upgraded 24 RAF airframes, the RAF says the Puma HC.Mk 2 returned to full operational service in 2015.
Sources: RAF Puma HC2
RAF reporting says three Puma helicopters began serving in Kabul in March 2015 as part of Operation TORAL and the NATO Resolute Support Mission.
Sources: RAF Puma Afghanistan Return
Portugal's Ukraine-support list places Puma helicopter deliveries in the fourth quarter of 2024; Defense Express identifies the package as eight SA 330 Pumas.
Sources: Portugal Military Support to Ukraine, Defense Express Portugal SA 330 Puma Delivery
The RAF aircraft page said the Puma would remain in RAF service until March 2025, while BFBS reported farewell flypasts at the end of March 2025.
Sources: RAF Puma HC2, BFBS RAF Puma Farewell
