France to acquire 169 Airbus H160M Guepard Helicopters

The French military has ordered a total of 169 H160M Guepard helicopters from multinational aerospace firm Airbus as part of the country’s Light Joint Helicopter program.

In a press release, the company said that the agreement covers the development of various H160M prototypes and the initial delivery of 21 Guepards to the army, eight to the navy, and one to the air force.

Airbus chief executive officer Bruno Even explained that the H160M aircraft would bring new capabilities to the French military since it is designed and developed to survive modern warfare.

“Having the French armed forces, a world reference, as our launch customer for the H160M is extremely valuable,” Even said, adding that the helicopter is the result of the company’s 10-year cooperation with the French Armament General Directorate (DGA) and the armed forces.

Deliveries of the H160M helicopters will begin in 2027.