On Monday, Florence Parly, Minister for the Armed Forces, visited Airbus Helicopters in Marignane (13) to unveil the armed forces’ new helicopter.
The Military Programming Act was due to see production of this new light joint-service helicopter begin in 2022; however, the first aircraft will now be manufactured in 2021.
The "Guépard" (H160M) will be deployed by the Air Force, the Army and the Royal Navy from 2026. It is set to replace five helicopter models.
This versatile aircraft will be used for a wide range of missions: commando infiltration, anti-ship operations, air interception, fire support, search and rescue (SAR)...
"Bringing forward the launch of this helicopter is a win-win arrangement with Airbus Helicopters. By getting ahead of the Military Programming Act, we avoid the maintenance costs – which have become very high – associated with the older helicopters."
Florence Parly
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