Euro military Helicopter Refueller

History

Three were converted in 2010.

Hot refuelling means putting fuel into a helicopter with its rotors still turning, and doing it wherever the aircraft happens to be. The base is not a standard Runner. The dispenser draws through a single 20-metre suction hose on a reel behind the driver — the vehicle can feed from a bladder, a bowser or a fuel dump — and delivers through two 40-metre hoses, one on the right side and one at the rear. Between the two it filters, meters and pressure-regulates the fuel to aviation safety standards. Only three were converted, in 2010, entering service the following year in support of the helicopters of 4e RHFS — the French special forces helicopter regiment. They have proved durable: as of April 2019 all three remained in service, two on constant call with the third held in reserve. The type was shown publicly at Eurosatory in 2012 and 2014 and at SOFINS 2019 at the special forces base near Bordeaux.