Development began in 1966 by Sud Aviation (later Aérospatiale) on order from the French Army for a replacement for the Alouette II. Just a year later, the helicopter, designated SA.340, successfully completed its maiden flight in April 1967. The company continued development of the helicopter and, after some time, presented a new, improved model - the SA.341. One improvement was the replacement of the standard tail rotor with a closed "fenestron" tail rotor, integrated into the tail section of the helicopter.

SA.341 helicopters were adopted by the French Army in 1973. Specifically for this purpose, an armed modification, the SA.341F, was manufactured: the helicopter received an upgraded engine, as well as the ability to carry various weaponry, including a 20 mm cannon, HOT-2 ATGMs, and Mistral AAMs. A total of approximately 150 SA.341F helicopters were produced before the end of serial production in 1996, which were actively used by France in various military conflicts.

Introduced in Update 1.87 "Locked On", the SA.341F Gazelle is a versatile helicopter that can perform different roles depending on the loadout. It can destroy tanks with ATGMs or rockets, or shoot down aircraft or helicopters with AAMs and cannon. It is light, fast, manoeuvrable, and small, allowing it to carry out swift and rapid attacks, as well as quickly evade ground fire. However, it relies on stealth and cover to avoid detection and enemy fire, as it has no radar warning receiver and limited armour.