{"id":24760,"date":"2019-05-28T06:56:40","date_gmt":"2019-05-28T06:56:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/05\/28\/france-speeds-up-joint-light-helicopter-program\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:08:05","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:08:05","slug":"france-speeds-up-joint-light-helicopter-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2019\/05\/28\/france-speeds-up-joint-light-helicopter-program\/","title":{"rendered":"France speeds up joint light helicopter program"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

PARIS \u2013 The French Armed Forces will get the first of their 169 H160M light helicopters two years ahead of schedule, Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly announced Monday during a visit to Airbus Helicopters\u2019 headquarters in Marignane, France.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The helicopter, which will be designated as \u201cGu\u00e9pard\u201d (cheetah), is now scheduled to be operational in the army, navy and air force by 2026, with a procurement program launched in 2021, a year earlier than planned in the current 2019-2025 military program law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Gu\u00e9pard helos are designed make up the future fleet of HILs, short for H\u00e9licopt\u00e8re Interarm\u00e9es L\u00e9ger, or joint light helicopter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The program aims to provide the three forces with a fleet consisting of just one type of helicopter to replace the five in operation today, some of which date back to the 1970s: the Gazelles in the army; the Alouettes III, Dauphins and Panthers in the navy; and the Fennecs in the air force. With only one type of helicopter in operation, the three forces will be able to share development costs and support, notably by buying spare parts in bulk, the government\u2019s thinking goes.<\/p>\n\n\n\t