Thales Joins Forces with France for 169 Guépard Helicopter Program
The Thales innovations chosen by Airbus Helicopters, the primary industrial contractor for this initiative, alongside the French defense procurement agency (DGA), the contracting body, will equip the 169 Guépard joint light helicopters with a comprehensive array of high-caliber solutions utilizing pioneering connected touchscreen technologies for all three military branches starting in 2027.
The Guépard (“Cheetah”) represents the military adaptation of the H160 from Airbus Helicopters. It is designed to carry out as many as 20 distinct mission profiles, including reconnaissance, fire support, special forces infiltration, and command assistance for the 80 Guépards allocated to the French Army; naval air combat, maritime group defense and assistance, special operations, and State actions at sea for the 49 Guépards designated for the French Navy; as well as airspace monitoring and defense, search and rescue, fire support, and intelligence operations for the 40 Guépards of the French Air and Space Force. This collaborative forces aspect of the program will enhance crew training efficiency alongside equipment maintenance and repair processes.
The helicopter’s redesigned cockpit will be outfitted with the FlytX avionics system, showcasing the latest advancements and a completely new ergonomic structure. Co-created with pilots over the past decade, the compact FlytX avionics system for helicopters is entirely interconnected and customizable, delivering an unparalleled level of operational adaptability. Direct, user-friendly touchscreen interfaces elevate the pilot’s engagement with cockpit systems and enrich situational awareness, ensuring that aircrews can concentrate on their primary mission objectives.
Completing the suite of instruments at pilots’ disposal, the TopOwl Digital Display, the newest entry in the Thales line of helmet-mounted sights and displays, marks a transformative era of augmented reality within the cockpit. TopOwl amalgamates sensor insights and video streams, allowing pilots to navigate the helicopter within a virtual environment under challenging conditions and fostering enhanced collaboration among crew members to maximize operational effectiveness.
Developed through collaborative financing by Thales and the DGA, the compact fixed-panel AirMaster C radar weighs less than 20 kg, ensuring prolonged durability and increased cruising speeds. Its capability to identify multiple targets concurrently at both extensive and limited ranges alleviates aircrew workload, providing comprehensive surveillance capabilities across all weather scenarios and operational contexts. AirMaster C is intended for varied maritime, terrestrial, and aerial surveillance missions. The armed forces will depend on the radar’s adaptable architecture and self-learning functionalities to categorize and disseminate vast amounts of operational information.
Crew members will benefit from a defensive aids system specifically optimized for the Guépard. This self-defense mechanism will identify threats across the full electromagnetic and optical spectrum and automatically activate decoy launchers along with other countermeasures. Self-defense strategies and methodologies will be formulated prior to deployment by teams of experts from the armed forces utilizing advanced mission planning and analysis infrastructure. A Thales framework founded on the CATS-150, which has demonstrated success in operational settings aboard the NH-90, was selected for its competitive edge and technical reliability, as well as its ability to manage sensitive electronic warfare data.
To address the multi-mission necessities of all three military divisions, the Guépard will utilize a sophisticated connectivity suite supplying an extensive range of secure communication services. This system will encompass the software-defined radio created for the CONTACT initiative, coupled with a compact airborne encryption solution, facilitating integration with cooperative systems developed under the SCORPION project for the French land forces, interaction with other aircraft deployed by the French Air and Space Force, and guaranteeing compatibility up to NATO Secret level. Equipped with the Micro-TMA resilient high-data-rate datalink and compatibility with 4G/LTE networks, the joint light helicopter will set the stage for hyper-connected operational undertakings. The Guépard will also include a radionavigation suite and a newly designed, compact IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) system.
Moreover, the cutting-edge TopStar M GPS/Galileo multi-constellation receiver will significantly enhance the helicopter’s navigation capabilities.
“Airbus Helicopters and the French defense procurement agency are placing their confidence in the latest generation of Thales technologies to meet rigorous new benchmarks for military aviation. We take great pride in being a part of such a vital initiative for the armed forces.” Patrice Caine, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Thales
