The French Ministry of the Armed Forces orders the development and production of 169 H160M Guepard to Airbus Helicopters, which from 2027 will start to be delivered to the Army, Navy and Air Force.
According to the Airbus press release, the French Directorate General of Armament (DGA) has signed a contract with Airbus Helicopters for the development and procurement of the H160M under the Joint Light Helicopter (HIL) program. The contract includes the development of several prototypes and the delivery of a first batch of 30 aircraft (21 for the Army, 8 for the Navy and one for the Air and Space Army). The French Ministry of the Armed Forces plans to order a total of 169 H160M «Guépard» (as it will be known in the French armed forces) helicopters. Deliveries will begin in 2027, starting with French Army units.
«The Guépard is the result of ten years of close collaboration with the DGA and the French armed forces,» said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters. «The H160M will bring new capabilities to the armed forces as it adapts to modern warfare thanks to its enhanced connectivity, maneuverability, low acoustic footprint and a fully integrated support system. Having the French armed forces, a global reference, as our launch customer for the H160M is extremely valuable.»
The H160M, the first of a new generation of military helicopters, is derived from the EASA-certified H160. It benefits from low cost of operations and optimized flight safety. The H160 was designed as a modular helicopter, allowing its military version, with a single platform, to perform missions ranging from commando infiltration to air interdiction, fire support and anti-ship warfare, in order to meet the needs of the army, navy and air forces. To ensure a high level of availability while reducing operating costs, the H160M’s support and service requirements were taken into account from the design phase. Innovative and simplified, H160M support is based on the exploitation of data analytics.
Airbus Helicopters will ensure a high level of availability through an innovative maintenance contract. The company is committed to innovative aircraft maintenance and availability management through a dedicated organization. This organization was introduced with the global support contract signed in 2020 for the French Cougar and Caracal fleet and proved to be a successful model, enabling a significant increase in aircraft availability.
Tests conducted in the Moroccan desert in July 2021 demonstrated the effectiveness of the H160’s inlet barrier filtration system in protecting the Safran Arrano engines against sand ingestion. The desert tests also demonstrated the efficiency of the automatic flight control system during takeoff and landing operations with limited visibility due to sand clouds. The H160M will be ready to operate in the harshest conditions.
The military version of the H160 will be more discreet than previous helicopters, with a reduced acoustic signature thanks to the Blue Edge blades. The H160’s stability, maneuverability and automatic flight control system will be key assets for the military version. The H160M will be equipped with Airbus Helicopters’ HForce weapon system, a modular and incremental solution that allows the use of a wide range of weapons. The equipment will also include a hoist and a fast rope descent arm.
The H160M Guépard will be equipped with the Safran Euroflir 410 electro-optical system, Thales FlytX cockpit avionics suite and AirMaster C radar. Pilots will be able to use the Thales TopOwl helmet-mounted visor and display. The Guépard will also carry a self-protection suite, a satellite communication system and a tactical data link system. The armament package will include the MBDA ANL anti-ship missile and pod- and door-mounted guns.
