Airbus Helicopters kicks off final assembly of third H160M prototype

Latest example of medium-twin supports development of combined naval and air force variant.

Airbus Helicopters has begun final assembly of the third of three H160M Guepard prototypes at its Marigane site in southern France.

The production milestone kicked off following the delivery of the central fuselage from its Donauworth factory in Germany to the final assembly line in early November. A first flight is expected in 2027.

Development of the H160M is taking place on behalf of the French defence ministry, which has ordered the Guepard for all three branches of its armed forces.

While two examples of the militarised medium-twin are already flying – the second made its maiden sortie in July – these are in a configuration that supports overall programme development and the variant destined for the army.

Due to the complexities of H160Ms for the navy and air force, which are covered by joint operational requirements, there are sufficient differences over the baseline model to require its own specific prototype.

Key features include changes to the nose to accommodate a Thales AirMaster C radar, provisions for the potential future addition of an in-flight refuelling probe, structural reinforcements supporting naval operations such as harpoon integration, and side panel provisions for lateral radar antennas.

First delivery of the Guepard, to the French army, will take place in late 2028.

France has so far ordered 30 H160Ms from a total 169-unit requirement: 80 for the army, 49 for the navy and 40 for the air force.

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