On July 14, 2025, the skies above Paris once again roared with the sound of rotor blades and jet engines, as France celebrated its national day with the traditional military parade on the Champs-Élysées.
This year’s event placed a particular emphasis on the role of rotary-wing aviation across the French armed forces, showcasing the versatility, readiness, and strategic importance of helicopters in both domestic and international operations.
Among the most prominent participants were the helicopters of the Aviation Légère de l’Armée de Terre (ALAT), the French Army’s light aviation branch, which demonstrated its critical role in modern warfare and national defense. These ALAT helicopters flew together with their fellow helicopters of the French Navy and the French Air and Space Force.
The 2025 Bastille Day parade was more than a ceremonial event — it was a strategic showcase of France’s aerial capabilities, with helicopters playing a central role. From the high-tech Tigres of the ALAT to the life-saving Dragons of the Civil Protection, the diversity and professionalism of France’s rotary-wing forces were on full display. The parade highlighted how helicopters serve as force multipliers, enabling rapid response, precision engagement, and humanitarian assistance across a wide range of missions.
Lieutenant Simon of the 3rd Combat Helicopter Regiment (3RHC) has five years’ experience on the NH90, and flew the aircraft during the flyover.
“[It’s a] transport helicopter that allows us to do a lot of missions, transport heli, carrying heli, as well as rescue, and a lot of side missions that can be assigned to us.”
For Bastille Day, the French military leaves nothing to chance. Lieutenant Simon explained that the preparation process begins long before the national parade.
“We prepare all year for these missions. Obviously, we do flights to train ourselves, to be able to make beautiful preparations and beautiful presentations.
“In two minutes, many helicopters will pass above the presidential tribune. So we will obviously need to be well coordinated and well set up in a formation to be able to be well prepared and to make beautiful images, of course.”
On July 9 — during the week before the flyover — a key rehearsal took place at an airfield near Chartres. Lieutenant Simon described that day’s objectives:
“[It helps] to understand the operation of the formation and also to be able to repeat and show a beautiful image and to be sure that on July 14, it will go very well,” he said.
