EC725 Caracal armed with Exocet anti-ship missile undergoes flight tests in Marignane

: Posted On Friday, 06 June 2014 19:02

Naval Defense Industry News - France, Brazil

EC725 Caracal armed with Exocet anti-ship missile undergoes flight tests in Marignane

A specialized team of Helibras and Airbus Helicopters experts tested a prototype of the EC725 carrying anti-ship missiles installed on either side of the aircraft. The Exocet AM39 missiles will equip eight of the 16 EC725 helicopters belonging to the Brazilian Navy, which are part of the contract for 50 EC725s signed with the Brazilian Ministry of Defense for the three Army corps.

EC725 Caracal with two AM39 Exocet anti-ship missiles
Picture: Airbus Helicopters / ANTHONY PECCHI

More than 20 flights were performed in Marignane during a one month period, starting April 28.

Experiments performed with such heavy weapons, weighing around 700 kg per missile, are very rare and require close coordination and collaboration among several departments, including the armament, structures, integration, computation, aerodynamics, loads, vibrations and flight tests.

EC725 Caracal with two AM39 Exocet anti-ship missiles
Picture: Airbus Helicopters / ANTHONY PECCHI

The tests evaluated the behavior of the aircraft in critical phases of flight. The vibration levels, handling qualities, and performance were evaluated and the structural and aerodynamic loads verified.

The helicopter flew with instrumentation sensors and accelerometers installed to capture and record the results that will help engineering teams at Helibras and Airbus Helicopters move to the next steps of systems integration and development on the naval version.