France, July 24 -- Airbus Helicopters has started flight-testing the H160M Guepard. This militarised version of the H160 is being developed for the French Armed Forces as part of the Joint Light Helicopter programme. The flight test crew consisted of Samuel Chartier, H160M flight test pilot, and flight test engineers Nicolas Certain, Laurent Maruejols, and Alban Corpron. The H160M's maiden flight was celebrated during an official ceremony at the Company's headquarters in France. The H160M was chosen by France as a single platform to equip all three branches of the armed forces-the Army, Navy, and Air and Space Force. The French Ministry of Armed Forces plans to order 169 H160Ms to replace five types of helicopters currently in service with ...