The Airbus Helicopters Fennec is a militarized family of light helicopters based on the Aérospatiale AS350 Écureuil and AS355 Écureuil 2 civil designs. Developed to provide a compact and agile platform for military operations, the Fennec is utilized for a wide array of missions, including tactical transport, reconnaissance, light attack, and training. Depending on the specific variant, the aircraft is configured as either a single-engine or twin-engine helicopter. The single-engine version, currently marketed as the H125M Fennec, is powered by a Safran Arriel 2D turboshaft engine featuring dual-channel FADEC. The twin-engine variant is designated as the AS555 Fennec 2.
Originally developed by Aérospatiale, the aircraft's production transitioned through Eurocopter before becoming part of Airbus Helicopters. While the civil precursors date back to the 1970s, the militarized Fennec versions entered service around 1990. Modern production for the H125M is conducted by Airbus in Columbus, Mississippi, in the United States, though the aircraft's origins are French.
The Fennec's design is characterized by a lightweight, compact structure that facilitates shipboard operations and low-maintenance agility. To support its combat roles, the aircraft can be equipped with various munitions, including rockets, torpedoes, machine-gun pods, and coaxial weapons.
Global adoption of the Fennec has been extensive. It has been operated by the armed forces of Argentina, Brazil, Chad, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Qatar, Tanzania, Thailand, and Uzbekistan, with Singapore having operated the type previously. In France, the Air Force received AS555 helicopters between February 1988 and March 1994, and as of 2018, 40 of these remained operable. Additionally, the French Army Light Aviation (ALAT) took delivery of 17 AS555 Fennecs in January 1990 for use in liaison and training at the Le Luc Training School.
Denmark's Royal Danish Air Force purchased 12 AS550 C2 helicopters in 1987, with deliveries beginning in August 1990. These aircraft saw significant operational deployment, including three units sent to Macedonia for Operation Amber Fox in 2002, support for forces in Iraq starting in December 2005 (with four more deployed in August 2007), and the deployment of four aircraft to Afghanistan in 2008. More recently, the Royal Malaysian Navy operated the AS555 SN Fennec 2, one of which was involved in a fatal collision on April 23, 2024, at the Lumut base in Perak.