France’s Sécurité Civile Dragon Firefighters Get New Airbus H145D3 Helicopters | Aviation International News

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France’s Dragon Firefighters Get New Airbus H145D3 Helicopters

French Sécurité Civile helicopters unit transitioning to Airbus H145D3 models

Crew members standing in front of H145-D3 in hangar — The embodiment of teamwork trust: crews on the ground and in the air work together to ensure crucial missions are carried out safely and successfully. © Charlotte Bailey / AIN

By Charlotte Bailey • News Reporter

May 13, 2026

France's Sécurité Civile civil protection agency is refreshing its helicopter fleet with a switch from Airbus EC145C2s to the latest H145D3 model. During a recent media tour of the rotorcraft unit's training base at Nîmes in the south of France, instructor pilot Michaël Lenfant explained how its ethos in responding to crucial rescue missions is "to go where no helicopter can land and no ground medical team can operate.”

The team—which operates under the callsign “Dragon”—is part of the French interior ministry’s airborne assets division Groupement des Moyens Aériens (GMA). Fixed-wing groups—operating the Canadair Cl-415 and DHC Dash 8 aircraft—are complemented by Groupement d’Hélicopteres de la Sécurité Civile (CHSC). This dedicated helicopter branch is responsible for rescue operations, emergency medical services, and firefighting provision across mainland France and overseas territories.

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