Baccarat 2021 - Embedded with French Army helicopters

Baccarat is a large-scale French Army exercise bringing together helicopters, ground forces and multinational units over several days of air-land operations. Helicopassion followed part of the exercise from inside the operations, documenting tactical flights, troop insertions and helicopter activity from forward operating locations.

Several years before the large-scale Orion exercises brought renewed attention to French Army air-land operations, Baccarat already combined helicopter assault missions, multinational coordination, tactical insertions and forward helicopter deployments across southern France.

This was not covered as a public event or media presentation, but from within the exercise itself. Helicopassion followed several operational phases directly alongside French Army helicopter units, with access to tactical flights, forward operating locations and multinational helicopter operations.

As the only photographer covering parts of the exercise from inside the missions, André Bour documented a series of rare moments: air-to-air sequences from an operational NH90 formation, Spanish Army helicopter operations, night assault missions and Tiger HAD deployments from forward bases.

The report begins aboard a French Army NH90 Caiman during an operational mission involving troop transport and assault operations. Photographs were taken from a fourth helicopter flying with the formation, doors open, allowing rare air-to-air views of the three other NH90s during low-level tactical flight.

Inside the aircraft, the atmosphere alternates between concentration in the cockpit, preparation of the troops and constant coordination between the crews. The open-door configuration also made it possible to photograph the helicopters during approach phases, troop deployment and the return flight with the rear ramp lowered.

NH90 Caiman helicopters in tactical formation

The NH90 formation evolved at low altitude across the rugged landscapes of southern France, giving a rare perspective on the French Army’s tactical transport helicopter in operational conditions. Flying from inside the formation allowed continuous repositioning to capture the aircraft from multiple angles during the mission.

Infiltration with four NH90 helicopters

(Photo André Bour - Helicopassion) Three French Army NH90 Caiman helicopters aligned diagonally during a tactical formation flight photographed air-to-air from another NH90.

(Photo André Bour - Helicopassion) Three French Army NH90 Caiman helicopters flying in V formation during a tactical air-to-air sequence photographed from above another helicopter.

(Photo André Bour - Helicopassion) Two French Army NH90 Caiman helicopters flying in tactical formation during an air-to-air sequence photographed from another helicopter.

(Photo André Bour - Helicopassion) French Army NH90 Caiman helicopter flying in tactical formation with its side door open and a door gunner in position during a low-level mission above southern France.

(Photo André Bour - Helicopassion) Inside a French Army NH90 Caiman cockpit during tactical flight, with the pilot on the right, the aircraft commander on the left and the flight engineer positioned between them.

(Photo André Bour - Helicopassion) View toward the rear of a French Army NH90 Caiman cabin during an operational mission, with commandos seated inside the troop compartment before insertion.

Assault landing zone

(Photo André Bour - Helicopassion) A French Army NH90 Caiman approaches a landing zone as the door gunner watches the ground from the open side door to assist the crew during landing.

(Photo André Bour - Helicopassion) Three French Army NH90 Caiman helicopters landed in a field behind a large hedgerow during a tactical insertion exercise in southern France.

(Photo André Bour - Helicopassion) French Army commandos disembark from an NH90 Caiman helicopter during a tactical insertion phase of Exercise Baccarat.

(Photo André Bour - Helicopassion) French Army NH90 Caiman door gunner in firing position during a tactical helicopter mission photographed from the ground during Exercise Baccarat.

Return flight with the rear ramp open

The return flight offered another unusual viewpoint: with the rear ramp lowered, the three other NH90s could be photographed head-on while maintaining formation.

(Photo André Bour - Helicopassion) View from inside a French Army NH90 Caiman with the rear ramp open while photographing the three other NH90 helicopters of the formation head-on during tactical flight.

(Photo André Bour - Helicopassion) French Army NH90 Caiman helicopter flying at very low altitude during a tactical mission photographed head-on from another helicopter.

(Photo André Bour - Helicopassion) French Army NH90 Caiman helicopter photographed air-to-air in three-quarter view during tactical low-level flight over southern France.

Return to the forward operating base

(Photo André Bour - Helicopassion) French Army NH90 Caiman helicopter returning to the forward operating base at L’Hospitalet-du-Larzac with the door gunner visible at the open side door.

(Photo André Bour - Helicopassion) Rear view of a French Army NH90 Caiman approaching the forward operating base at L’Hospitalet-du-Larzac as the door gunner leans out to monitor the landing area.

(Photo André Bour - Helicopassion) French Army NH90 Caiman helicopter landing at the forward operating base at L’Hospitalet-du-Larzac with the three crew members clearly visible through the cockpit windows.

Spanish Army Puma and Cougar helicopters

The exercise also involved Spanish Army helicopters operating alongside French forces. Several landing sequences took place in confined areas near Millau and on the Larzac plateau, illustrating multinational coordination during helicopter assault operations.

The Spanish helicopters operated in dusty and restricted landing zones, sometimes with several aircraft arriving in rapid succession.

The Spanish detachment operated both AS332 Super Puma and AS532 Cougar helicopters. One visible difference between the two variants is the side door configuration: the Super Puma uses a single sliding door opening forward, while the Cougar features a double sliding door opening to both sides.

(Photo André Bour - Helicopassion) Spanish Army AS332 Super Puma helicopter from the FAMET approaching a restricted area landing zone in a small forest clearing surrounded by tall trees on the Causse de Mende

(Photo André Bour - Helicopassion) Spanish Army AS332 Super Puma helicopter from the FAMET arriving on the Causse de Mende, more than 100 kilometres north of the forward operating base established at L’Hospitalet-du-Larzac.

(Photo André Bour - Helicopassion) Spanish Army AS532 Cougar helicopter landed in a restricted forest clearing on the Causse de Mende as troops disembark during a helicopter assault operation.

(Photo André Bour - Helicopassion) Spanish Army AS332 Super Puma helicopter taking off from a confined landing zone on the Causse de Mende with a door gunner visible at the open side door.

Night assault operations

As daylight faded, the exercise shifted toward night operations involving several French Army helicopters. NH90, Cougar and Puma helicopters inserted troops close to the objective area while maintaining tight coordination in low-light conditions.

The combination of fading light, rotor wash and tactical movements created particularly immersive scenes, closer to operational deployments than public demonstrations.

(Photo André Bour - Helicopassion) French Army helicopters arriving over the landing zone at dusk during a night assault phase of Exercise Baccarat.

(Photo André Bour - Helicopassion) A French Army Puma helicopter approaches the landing zone during a night assault operation at dusk.

(Photo André Bour - Helicopassion) A French Army NH90 Caiman lands beside Cougar and Puma helicopters already on the ground as commandos rapidly disembark during a tactical insertion.

(Photo André Bour - Helicopassion) French Army commandos rapidly disembark from a Puma helicopter after landing during a tactical night insertion exercise.

(Photo André Bour - Helicopassion) A French Army commando leader indicates the direction of movement after helicopter insertion during Exercise Baccarat.

(Photo André Bour - Helicopassion) A French Army Puma helicopter takes off against the colours of the sunset sky after completing a tactical insertion mission.

Tiger HAD attack helicopters

Tiger HAD attack helicopters were also deployed from the forward operating base. Their missions included armed escort, reconnaissance and support for helicopter assault operations conducted elsewhere in the exercise area.

(Photo André Bour - Helicopassion) French Army Tigre HAD attack helicopter in hover, front view, with the pilot looking to the right and the commander/gunner looking to the left, armed with a 30 mm cannon, rocket pods, Hellfire missiles and an external fuel tank

(Photo André Bour - Helicopassion) French Army Tigre HAD attack helicopter taking off from a forward operating location with a full combat loadout including a 30 mm cannon, rocket pods, Hellfire missiles and an external fuel tank

(Photo André Bour - Helicopassion) French Army Tigre HAD attack helicopter gaining altitude after take-off during Exercise Baccarat in southern France, carrying rocket pods, Hellfire missiles and an external fuel tank

Operating from improvised forward locations on the Larzac plateau, the helicopters highlighted the expeditionary dimension of modern French Army helicopter operations.

Rather than focusing on a single demonstration sequence, Baccarat offered a broader look at how helicopters are used during modern air-land operations: tactical transport, multinational coordination, low-level flight, night assault and forward deployment.

The exercise also provided a rare opportunity to document these operations from inside the action, with extensive air-to-air photography taken directly from operational flights.

Behind the images

Several photographs published in this report were taken directly from operational NH90 flights during the exercise, including air-to-air sequences photographed from inside the helicopter formations.

Helicopassion followed parts of the missions alongside French Army helicopter crews, documenting the operations from forward bases, tactical insertions and low-level flights across southern France.

After returning from the missions, the crews prepared the helicopters for the next phase of the exercise while maintaining continuous flight operations throughout the deployment.

(Photo André Bour - Helicopassion) French Army NH90 Caiman crew members and door gunner after returning from a tactical mission during Exercise Baccarat