The French Gendarmerie’s airborne capabilities are set for a major boost. Airbus Helicopters has delivered the first H160 helicopter destined for the Gendarmerie nationale to the French defence procurement agency (DGA) during a ceremony held on 16 December in Marignane, near Marseille.

Ten units of the new-generation, medium twin-engine, multirole helicopter were ordered by the DGA in December 2021 on behalf of the Ministry of the Interior. This procurement runs in parallel with the 169 H160M helicopters ordered for the French Army, Navy, and Air and Space Force under the Joint Light Helicopter (Hélicoptère Interarmées Léger – HIL) program.

The H160 will be the largest and most capable helicopter ever operated by the Gendarmerie’s air service, offering significant improvements in speed, range, versatility, and mission systems.

“The delivery of the first H160 to the Gendarmerie nationale is the result of close cooperation with the Gendarmerie and the DGA to develop a solution fully tailored to the most demanding security missions,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters. “This program reflects our strong commitment to the future of French defence and security, notably through the ongoing development of the H160M Guépard, which performed its maiden flight last summer. The synergies between both programs directly benefit French forces, ensuring unprecedented levels of performance and interoperability for critical civil and military missions,” he added.

Airbus Helicopters also noted that the Gendarmerie’s H160s will be covered by a comprehensive support contract, including technical assistance, spare parts inventories distributed across four Gendarmerie air bases, and related support services. Deliveries will continue through early 2027.

Meanwhile, the Gendarmerie has also begun taking delivery of its new five-bladed H145 D3 helicopters since last month, replacing its ageing AS350 “Écureuil” and EC145 fleets.