Airbus Helicopters has started flight-testing the H160M Guépard. This militarised version of the H160 is being developed for the French Armed Forces as part of the Joint Light Helicopter programme. The flight test crew consisted of Samuel Chartier, H160M flight test pilot, and flight test engineers Nicolas Certain, Laurent Maruejols, and Alban Corpron. The H160M’s maiden flight was celebrated during an official ceremony at the Company’s headquarters in France.
The H160M was chosen by France as a single platform to equip all three branches of the armed forces—the Army, Navy, and Air and Space Force. The French Ministry of Armed Forces plans to order 169 H160Ms to replace five types of helicopters currently in service with the French Armed Forces or recently retired.
The H160M builds on the civil H160 platform, which has been in service for over three years. Named “Guépard” by the French Armed Forces, the H160M features significant developments to make it one of the most modern military aircraft in the world. Airbus has opted to produce three prototypes to accelerate the H160M’s development. A second prototype is currently in final assembly. The first prototype will primarily be used for validating the H160M’s flight performance and will conduct firing campaigns in 2026. The second prototype will be used for hot and cold weather campaigns, among other tests.
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