The H160M Guepard is developed from civil H160, it will benefit from many inherent advantages of its predecessor
Introduce
If truly proven to be effective in practice, the H160M Guepard, Airbus’ futuristic multi-role combat helicopter will soon be put into service in the French armed forces. Airbus is also actively introducing H160M to military markets with first deliveries in 2026.
A full-size mock-up model of the H160M Guepard, one of Airbus’s most cutting-edge helicopter concepts that is currently under active development, was formally unveiled in May 2019 by the company. During the French Defense Minister Florans Parly’s visit to the Airbus factory in Marigane, the H160M helicopter type was unveiled.
The H160M was created to replace the five various platforms, including Fennec, Gazelle, Panther, Alouette III, and Dauphin, that have been used by the oldest since the 1970s, according to sources that have been made public. The H160M, an Airbus Helicopters military variant of the H160, was selected as the common platform for the French armed forces.
Modular and versatile, it will perform missions alongside the latest generation of specialized helicopters such as TIGRE, CAIMAN Marine or CARACAL. It is said to be integrated with the latest Airbus technologies to increase efficiency and reliability, promising to continue the resounding success of Airbus in the helicopter industry.
The H160M Guepard is developed from civil H160, it will benefit from many inherent advantages of its predecessor, especially in terms of support, with simple maintenance and lower operating costs compared to the previous generation of helicopters in this category. In its army aviation role, the H160M is the perfect complement to an air-land force, reconnaissance, special forces operations, and Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence operations.
The H160M has a beautiful, sleek and modern design, which uses some advanced manufacturing technologies and materials to create a lighter, more efficient helicopter. The helicopter was operated by a crew of two sitting in tandem in a glass cockpit. The cockpit is equipped with Helionix aviation electronics, integrated with four multifunction screens.
At the nose of the helicopter is equipped with an Electro-Optical system. Along the sides of the fuselage provide arms mounting positions. The area behind the cockpit is the passenger cabin, the spacious cabin with a volume of more than 7 cubic meters inside and can accommodate up to 12 armed soldiers. Passengers access the cabin through two sliding doors on either side of the fuselage.
The twin engines are mounted above the cabin in the usual way. The H160M features the Blue Edge five-bladed main rotor, this incorporates a double-swept shape that reduces the noise generation of blade-vortex interactions, a phenomenon which occurs when the blade impacts a vortex created at its tip, resulting in a 3 to 4 Decibel noise reduction and raising the effective payload by 100 kg compared with a scaled Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin rotor design.
Aerodynamic innovations include a biplane tailplane stabiliser for greater low speed stability, and a quieter canted fenestron which combined produce an extra 80 kg of lift. According to the manufacturer, people on the H160 will even be able to talk without headphones.
The H160M utilise a canted fenestron anti-torque tail rotor enhances the performance and passenger comfort, while offering flight stability with community-friendly sound levels.
Powerplant
The H160M Guepard will be powered by two Safran Arrano turboshaft engines supplied by Safran Helicopter Engines. The engine will feature a two-stage centrifugal compressor, a reverse-flow combustion chamber, and a single-stage power turbine.
It is expected to deliver a maximum power output of 1,300 horsepower, a top speed of 292km/h, a maximum takeoff weight of 6 tons and an estimated range of 850km.
Armament
As a military platform, the H160M will be armed with 7.62mm machine guns and a pintle sniper rifle mounted in the cabin. External mounting hardpoints can be arranged for Sea Venom, is an Anglo-French lightweight anti-ship missile developed by MBDA to equip the French Navy and the Royal Navy.
It can also be mounted with a 12.7mm axial machine gun. Thanks to its modularity and versatility, the Guepard can carry out missions of armed reconnaissance, fire support, infiltration of special forces or medical evacuation. For the Navy, it can carry out anti-ship, naval protection or maritime rescue missions.
For the Air Force, the H160M has the capability to provide airspace protection, search and rescue, deep action or intelligence missions.It is expected that H160M will soon serve in the French armed forces in the near future. Although it is unclear which country will become the next H160M customer after France, but if this aircraft truly proves its performance as advertised, the countries are using Airbus helicopters will be the most potential customers.
Source: https://military-wiki.com/
