- Yes
- No
Hello everyone, and welcome to this new proposal.
Today, I present a new version of the Gazelle helicopter, the SA.341 F2 Gazelle Celtic.
During the First Gulf War (Operation Daguet), the ALAT’s Gazelles were armed exclusively with cannons to provide support to ground forces. This armament was based on the experience of previous wars and interventions, which had not demonstrated any specific need for anti-aircraft defense. However, this conflict saw the emergence of numerous new threats in the form of combat helicopters equipped with anti-tank missiles, threatening vehicles traveling in convoys across the desert. Consequently, in 1987, the DGA and the CEV acquired a Gazelle to conduct a battery of tests regarding the integration of the Mistral anti-aircraft missile (until then reserved for firing from MANPADs or ground vehicles) on the aircraft. The tests were conclusive, and integration was carried out on three aircraft from the 3rd RHC (Combat Helicopter Regiment) already present in Saudi Arabia (the crews were trained in eight days by the GAMM-SAT in Valence). After modification, the Gazelles received the capability to carry two Mistral missiles on the port arm (the starboard arm remaining reserved for the cannon). The aircraft modified for this purpose were given the name Gazelle Celtic.
In the French armed forces, the Gazelle Celtic was the first ALAT aircraft capable of carrying out anti-aircraft combat missions (within the limits of the missile’s capabilities), allowing effective coverage of convoys and various theaters of operation. This choice was a success, as all ALAT combat helicopters would subsequently receive air-to-air missile firing capability (or at least have a version dedicated to this mission). Only a handful of Gazelles (three aircraft, then a fourth following the crash of one of the first) were modified during the Gulf War, but the work carried out would later be used to design the SA.342 L1 Gazelle Mistral, an aircraft designed 100% for air combat. Following the Gulf War, the three Gazelles Celtic were returned to France and served as an air defense unit in the 1st RHC until their retirement in 1996.
The aircraft that received the modification are numbers 1296 (F-MBOT), 1522 (F-MCWJ), 1658 (F-MBOP), and 1721 (F-MBWR).
Characteristics
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Length : 11.96m
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Width : 10.50m
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Height : 3.19m
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Weight :
- Min : 968kg
- Max : 1900kg
The aircraft is powered by one 870hp ASTAZOU III C2 turbine (523hp), allowing it to reach a maximum speed of 300km/h and fly for a maximum of 3 hours 30 minutes.
Equipment
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APX M334 ATHOS sight for the gunner/pilot
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SFOM80 sight for the pilot
Weapons
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20mm Mle M621 GIAT gun
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2 x Mistral missiles
The armament of this aircraft is purely intended to accomplish its anti-aircraft combat mission, with the cannon for short-range engagements and the missiles for medium distance.
Pictures
In-game, this aircraft would be an interesting addition to the French tree, providing a new version of an already well-known aircraft specialized in an anti-aircraft role. As a standalone device this vehicle could be a bit surprising and complicated to use but it would find its place perfectly in a folder, for example following the first version of the SA.341 Gazelle