France has taken delivery of a new Airbus H160 helicopter, integrating it into the training fleet of EPNER, the nation’s military test pilot school operated under the Defense Procurement Agency (DGA).
The newly received H160 joins the H225 “Helicopter Test Bench” already in DGA service, together supporting test pilot and flight engineer training, as well as validation of avionics, sensors, and mission systems in live flight conditions.
The aircraft replaces the Dauphin SA 365 N, long used for flight test instruction. The H160M Guépard, its militarized counterpart, will gradually succeed other legacy rotorcraft such as the Gazelle, Panther, Alouette III, and Fennec.
Selected in 2021 for France’s Light Joint Helicopter (HIL) program, the H160M Guépard will be produced in 169 units for the Army, Navy, and Air and Space Force. The type’s first flight took place in July 2025 at Airbus’s Marignane site, with serial deliveries to start in late 2028.
To accelerate integration, Airbus has also established a dedicated test bench replicating the H160 cockpit and mission systems. Early in-flight trials of key subsystems — including Safran’s Euroflir 410 and Thales avionics suites — are already underway. This test approach is designed to give flight crews early familiarity with the aircraft’s handling and systems prior to full military rollout.
