This aircraft was originally constructed by Aérospatiale in Marignane, France, but was dismantled right after completion and shipped to Sweden. The company FFV Aerotech in Linköping assembled the helicopter according to the Air Force's specifications and completed the aircraft in February of 1991. The aircraft was given the number "97" and was nicknamed "Madeleine".

The helicopter type, which was designated HKP 10, served as an Air Force search and rescue aircraft and operated parallel to BO105s and Bell 204s, but outlived them both. Number 97 mainly operated at the F17 base in Ronneby, but was later transferred to the F15 base in Söderhamn, and eventually to the F21 base in Luleå.

ARMED FORCES HELICOPTER WING
1998 saw the structural birth of a new joint helicopter force - the Swedish Armed Forces Helicopter Wing. From 1 January 1999 the unit merged the helicopter operations from all the three military branches (Air Force, Army, and Navy) together. The new organisation had no impact on the HKP 10s other than providing them with a slightly wider range of tasks.

MODIFIED TO A “D” MODEL
H-97 was one of two Super Pumas (10402 being the other one) that were modified into D models (HKP 10D) by HeliOne in Norway. The conversions were ordered in late-2008 and took place during 2009. The purpose of the modification was to get two national training helicopters that would complement the existing fleet of three HKP 10Bs (10403, 10406 and 10408) that were aimed for the two year long participation in the International Security Assistance Force’s operation in Afghanistan from 2011.

The D model, also known as "B light", is very similar to the B-model when it comes to its improved avionics and enhanced nursing cabin, as well as its NVG capacity. The combat features, like IR suppressors, ballistic protection and so on has not been installed in the D model. However, the Ds are prepared to be modified into B models if needed.

The Afghanistan training is mainly conducted at the F21 Air Force Base in Luleå, where the D models serve as fully dedicated training helicopters. Additional mission training has been performed in Africa and Spain.

The Swedish international medical evacuation unit, SAE ISAF MEDEVAC, served in Afghanistan between April 2011 and April 2013. The helicopter unit consisted of two HKP 10B Super Pumas that were based at Camp Marmal in Mazar-e Sharif, northern Afghanistan. The unit carried out 82 inter-hospital medical missions during its two years in service. SAE ISAF MEDEVAC was replaced by the Swedish unit SAE ISAF UH-60 at the end of March 2013. The new unit consisted of total of four HKP 16 Black Hawks.

RETIREMENT
The HKP 10 (A, B and D) is in the process of being decommissioned from its duty in the Swedish Armed Forces, and the nine Super Pumas have been grounded one by one. A total of four helicopters were still operating in mid 2014, and by March 2015 only two remained in service. Both remaining helicopters were HKP 10Ds (10402 and 10407), and the last one of them is expected to operate no longer than December 2015.

The type was operated out of the F21 Kallax Air Base in Luleå the last year. They were primarily used to train some of the new pilots that were intended for the HKP14 (NH90).

The Armed Forces considered to sell six of its Super Pumas, namely 10402 (D), 10405 (A), 10407 (D), 10410 (A), 10411 (A) and 10412 (A). The average flight time accumulated by these airframes were about 6450 hours each. The three B models were not intended to be sold. 10406 (B) was handed over to the Aeroseum Aviation Museum in Gothenburg in February 2015. 10403 (B) was donated to the Armed Forces' technical school in Halmstad in August 2015.