Portugal had sent eight Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma helicopters to aid the Ukrainian Defense Forces in late 2024, the latest public release from the Portuguese Ministry of Defense confirms. The initial announcement came from the country’s Minister of National Defense, Nuno Melo. As reported by Publico, in January 2025, he retrospectively mentioned a provision of eight Puma helicopters to Ukraine, but the timeline wasn’t specified.
The delivery of SA 330 Puma was part of a broader commitment by Lisbon to donate €221 million worth of military equipment to the Ukrainian forces, including Ka-32 helicopters, M113 armored vehicles, 105-millimeter howitzers, boats, and more.
SA 330 Puma is a twin-engine, four-blade medium lift helicopter designed in the 1960s on request from the French Army for a reliable all-weather transport helicopter. It was produced from 1968 to 1987 until it gave way to its improved successor, AS 332 Super Puma.
In the Portuguese military, SA 330s were deployed for military operations, tactical air transport, search-and-rescue missions, and maritime surveillance. By the 2000s, Portugal switched over to AW-101 Merlin helicopters.
The Military Balance 2024 study counts 12 Merlins and also mentions five AW-119 Koala helicopters but, notably, no indications of Pumas being present in active service or military reserve as of early 2024. The FlightGlobal journal from 1987, however, does list 10 units of SA330C Puma at Portugal’s disposal.
As for specifications, Puma is over 18 meters in length, with rotor wingspan of 15 meters. With an empty weight of 3.5 tons, it can take off at a maximum weight of 7 tons. The helicopter is piloted by a crew of three, with capacity for up to 20 passengers. It speeds up to 270 km/h traveling distances up to 580 km at altitudes below 4.8 km, although some sources claim it can ascend almost up to 6 km.
