A light helicopter family widely adapted for armed reconnaissance, anti-tank, and battlefield observation.
Development
Aérospatiale/Westland Gazelle was developed by Aérospatiale in France as a armed-reconnaissance aircraft. The family first flew in 1967 and entered service in 1973. Its recorded airframe configuration is rotorcraft, with the family classified in the archive as core combat-aircraft scope.
Operational History
Operationally, Aérospatiale/Westland Gazelle is represented primarily in the armed-reconnaissance aircraft role. The sourced variant records include service with French Army Light Aviation. The current structured record does not attach a specific conflict authority to this family; operational context remains limited to sourced service and role data. Role tags attached to the family include armed scout.
Variants and Lineage
Major variants represented in the structured record include SA 341, SA 342M, and SA 342M Gazelle HOT.
Variants
| Designation | Type | Role | Recorded operators |
|---|---|---|---|
| SA 341 | Production | Armed Reconnaissance | French Army Light Aviation |
| SA 342M | Production | Armed Reconnaissance | French Army Light Aviation |
| SA 342M Gazelle HOT | Production | Attack | French Army Light Aviation |
Representative specifications
Configuration-specific profiles are shown separately so values from different variants are not blended into one false “standard” aircraft.
SA 341 — C015 baseline technical profile
- Crew
- 2
Powerplant: 1 × Turbomeca Astazou turboshaft
Armament: Machine guns, rockets, and anti-tank missiles in armed variants.
Sources and further reading
Structured references supporting this aircraft family, variants, specifications, and narrative sections.
- Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1974-75 — Sampson Low, Marston & Co. · Tier 3
- Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1984-85 — Jane’s Publishing Company · Tier 3