SA319B Alouette III

About the SA319B Alouette III

The Aerospatiale SA319B Alouette III is a French single-engine turboshaft rotorcraft built for light utility operations. Featuring a main rotor and seating up to seven occupants, it suits both civil and military operators for missions such as transport, training, rescue, and aerial observation. The aircraft is an enlarged derivative of an earlier successful helicopter, sharing foundational design elements while providing additional seating capacity.

Developed by Sud Aviation and later manufactured by Aerospatiale following a corporate merger, the type achieved commercial success and was produced across a span of six decades. Several international manufacturers built licensed versions of the aircraft for their own armed forces and domestic markets. Military operators armed the type with missiles, torpedoes, and cannons, while civilian users employed it for specialized external lifting and medical evacuation. Modern operators have progressively withdrawn the type in favor of newer rotorcraft.