This Puma originally started life as a SA330H with the South African Air Force (Suid-Afrikaanse Lugmag) serial 172 before being converted to a RAF Puma HC1. ZJ956 was one of six acquired from the SAAF in early 2002 as attrition replacements and were serialled ZJ954-ZJ959. Now a HC2 variant of the RAF Puma, twenty four airframes are due to go through the upgrade to 'Puma 2' which effectively makes them a Eurocopter SA330SM+ Puma HC2.