During the Milipol Paris 2025 exhibition, held on 18–21 November this year at the Paris-Nord Villepinte exhibition centre, the European company Airbus Helicopters (part of the Airbus Group) presented a mock-up of the H160 light multirole helicopter in a law-enforcement configuration, intended for the French National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale).
Photo: Jakub Link-Lenczowski, MILMAG
As Stéphane Rousseau told MILMAG’s editorial team, the new solutions introduced by Airbus reduce operating costs and improve the performance of the H160. This has been made possible through extensive use of composite materials, optimally shaped main rotor blades, a fenestron (tail rotor), and a new-generation tail stabilizer. The helicopter can fly at 150 knots and achieve an endurance of 4.5 hours. According to Airbus representatives, the implemented solutions also significantly reduce maintenance (MRO) costs.
For law-enforcement missions, the helicopter has been equipped with a Safran Euroflir electro-optical sensor, a hoist, a fast-rope hook, and an external searchlight. Despite being somewhat larger than the H145, the new helicopter is expected to perform well during operations over built-up areas (such as the Paris metropolitan region), thanks in part to its four-axis autopilot. According to Stéphane Rousseau, the H160 can carry 12 passengers or seven fully equipped counter-terrorism officers. The latter will be able to store additional gear in a luggage compartment accessible directly from the cabin. In addition, the helicopter will be able to cooperate with unmanned aerial systems (both from Airbus and other manufacturers), enhancing pilot situational awareness and supporting officers during missions. The helicopter’s avionics are compatible with systems used in other Airbus helicopters and, thanks to an open architecture, can be modernized or tailored to mission requirements.
It should be recalled that on January 10, 2022, the French Directorate General of Armaments (DGA), acting on behalf of the Ministry of the Interior, placed an order for 10 H160 police helicopters for the National Gendarmerie, along with servicing. The order, linked to the contract for 169 H160M Guépard helicopters for the armed forces under the HIL (Hélicoptère Interarmées Léger) program, forms part of the Stimulus plan announced by the French government in 2020 to support the national aviation industry.
France was the first country to order the H160 for law-enforcement agencies, although deliveries to the Japanese National Police Agency (Keisatsu-chō) began earlier this year. The Gendarmerie Nationale’s aviation command centre and Airbus Helicopters are working closely on the development of a dedicated flight-management system tailored to the service’s needs.
The French National Gendarmerie already operates a large fleet of Airbus helicopters: 26 H125 (AS350 Écureuil) reconnaissance/intervention helicopters (which will be replaced by the H160), 15 H135 reconnaissance/intervention helicopters, and 14 H145 search-and-rescue/intervention helicopters. Helicopters have been used by the National Gendarmerie since 1964 as part of the Forces aériennes de la Gendarmerie (FAG). Units are assigned to each of France’s seven continental regions and six overseas regions. As early as 2017, a Senate report on the state of the forces under the Ministry of the Interior called on the government to accelerate the technical modernization of Gendarmerie aviation.
In addition to improved performance and advanced mission systems, the H160 will introduce a new capability for transporting officers of the French Ministry of the Interior, primarily tactical units such as the French National Gendarmerie’s counter-terrorism force, GIGN (Groupe d’Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale).
The first reports about plans to procure the H160 for the Gendarmerie Nationale were published by the French daily Le Figaro on 2 November 2020. At that time, it was claimed that the contract would be concluded in 2021 and estimated at 200 million EUR — with four helicopters to be delivered by 2023 and the remaining six by 2026. It is now clear that this will not be the case.
Airbus H160
The H160 was certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on 1 July 2020, while the Level-D mission simulator received certification in August that same year. It later obtained certification from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on 30 June 2023, with Chartright Air Group in Canada and PHI Aviation becoming its first operators.
The H160 subsequently entered service in Brazil, Canada, China, France, Ireland, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and many other European countries. Airbus Helicopters has received orders for more than 100 helicopters. The aircraft have accumulated over 2,000 flight hours (as of July 2024). Airbus has also received orders for six H160 search-and-rescue (SAR) helicopters for the French Navy (Marine Nationale), as well as a recent order from the Bristow Group.
A mock-up of the H160, then known as the X4, was first presented in 2011. The prototype was unveiled at Heli-Expo in Orlando, Florida, on 3 March 2015, and made its maiden flight in June of the same year. The helicopter was designed as a potential successor to the AS365 Dauphin and H155 models. It is powered by two Turbomeca Arrano turboshaft engines, giving it a maximum speed of up to 296 km/h and a range of up to 833 km.