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France Accelerates Joint Light Helicopter Program, Names H160M ‘Guépard’

By Brian Garrett-Glaser

Tuesday, May 28th, 2019

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France Accelerates Joint Light Helicopter Program, Names H160M ‘Guépard’

A full-scale mock-up of the H160M “Guépard” (“Cheetah”), revelaed at Airbus Helicopter HQ in Marignane, France. (E. Raz)

The French Armed Forces have accelerated their acquisition timeline for its Hélicoptère Interarmées Léger (HIL), or joint light helicopter program, now scheduled to launch in 2021, according to Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly. The HIL aircraft, for which Airbus Helicopters’ H160M was selected in 2017, is now slated to be operational by 2026. France’s military has ordered 169 H160M helicopters, to be used across its army, navy and air force, replacing and simplifying the five different light attack helicopters currently…

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