The Executive Director of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Florian Guillermet, and the Délégué Général pour l’Armement, Patrick Pailloux, co-signed an implementing arrangement for French MoD Guépard helicopter (also known as H160M) on January 14, 2026 in Paris.
The implementing arrangement follows on from the generic cooperation arrangement concluded between the two design competent authorities in 2017. Relating specifically to the context of the H160M programme, it sets out to:
- Describe the scope of responsibility of each authority,
- Recognise each other’s airworthiness environment and apply mutual confidence in data produced and sent by each authority
- Set out the principles of working together in the design phase of the aircraft but also when this aircraft is operated
In the current geopolitical environment of conflict and rising tensions, a strengthened and pragmatic civil-military cooperation is vital to help accelerate technological development in aviation and to efficiently and appropriately manage the safety of specific military products throughout their life cycle, without prejudice to Member State sovereignty.
EASA is committed to supporting military projects when appropriate and where there are clear responsibilities established for the organisations involved.
Background
Through a French presidential decree enacted in 2013, DGA (Armament General Directorate) was empowered as the French State aircraft Design and Production competent authority.