Airbus has begun flight evaluations of the H160M Guépard aircraft in support of the French Armed Forces’ Joint Light Helicopter Program.
Paris selected the rotary-wing system as the initiative’s prime capability in 2021, replacing its military’s older Gazelle, Panther, Dauphin, Fennec, and Alouette III fleets.
All planned 169 H160Ms will be delivered by 2030 and distributed across the French Army, Navy, and Air and Space Force.
To bridge capability gaps, six interim H160s were delivered to the navy in 2024 for search-and-rescue missions.
Currently, three Guépard prototypes are in development. One will conduct live-fire and flight trials, while another is being outfitted for extreme weather testing to meet the defense ministry’s operational standards.
Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters, called the launch of France’s H160M flight test campaign “a major milestone” for the program.
He added that the initial six H160s in the navy have shown “excellent feedback,” proving a sustained readiness level during over two years of maritime missions in a complex domain.
“The H160M is an aircraft tailored for tomorrow’s military operations: reliable, agile, highly connected, and equipped with the latest generation of sensors and weaponry,” Even said. “Most importantly, it is highly scalable and can adapt to changing operational contexts.”
The H160M Guépard Helicopter
France’s incoming H160M measures 14 meters (46 feet) long, has a rotor diameter of 13 meters (43 feet), and can accommodate up to 12 people.
It has a carrying capacity of 2,000 kilograms (4,409 pounds), a fuel capacity of 1,100 kilograms (2,425 pounds), and is powered by two Safran Arrano A1 turboshaft engines with approximately 1,280 horsepower each.
The aircraft has a maximum speed of 255 kilometers (158 miles) per hour, an operational altitude of 6,096 meters (20,000 feet), and a range of 475 nautical miles (880 kilometers/547 miles).
