Rotorcraft
France Places First Order for the H160M Guépard Helicopter
Ultimately France intends to buy 169 H160Ms for the HIL (light joint helicopter) requirement to serve with the air force, army and navy.
Company graphics show the H160M in the colors and configurations of the three French services it will equip, comprising Armée de Terre (top), Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace (lower left), and Marine Nationale (lower right). (Photo: Airbus)
Company graphics show the H160M in the colors and configurations of the three French services it will equip, comprising Armée de Terre (top), Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace (lower left), and Marine Nationale (lower right). (Photo: Airbus)

France’s Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA, armament general directorate) has placed a development and procurement contract with Airbus Helicopters for the H160M utility helicopter. The type had already been selected to fulfil France’s Hélicoptère Interarmées Légèr (HIL, light joint helicopter) requirement, but the contract kick-starts the final development and initial production phase. At the same time, 10 non-militarized H160s were ordered for the Gendarmerie Nationale, and a single aircraft for use as a systems testbed by the DGA.


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