Paris, September 9, 2020

The H160s will be modified by Babcock to meet the French Navy's evolving operational needs

Babcock France, an engineering firm that provides support services for government strategic forces, has selected the new-generation Euroflir™410 optronic (electro-optical) system from Safran Electronics & Defense as part of the contract awarded by French defense procurement agency DGA (Direction Générale de l'Armement) to provide four H160 helicopters to the French Navy for a period of ten years.

These four H160 rotorcraft from Airbus Helicopters will be part of an interim fleet that includes a dozen Dauphin N3 helicopters also fitted with the Euroflir™410. The H160s will be modified by Babcock to meet the French Navy's evolving operational needs. Furthermore, feedback from the navy's operations will be used to help design the military version of the H160, dubbed Guépard ("Leopard").

EuroflirTM 410 will provide unrivaled observation capability

The Euroflir™410 NG is capable of detecting a ship's registration number or a person in distress at a distance of several kilometers. It will boost the French Navy's operational capabilities by enabling it to carry out at-sea Search & Rescue (SAR) missions from bases in Brittany (Lanvéoc-Poulmic) and along the English Channel (Cherbourg). The Euroflir™ 410 will provide unrivaled observation capability under any conditions of visibility, in large part due to its very-long-range multispectral telescope and high-performance line-of-sight stabilization. In addition to being fitted with a high-definition video camera (HDTV) and a medium-wave infrared (MWIR) imager, its multispectral architecture also includes supplementary cameras that are particularly well suited to severe maritime environments, namely near-infrared and shortwave infrared models.

This latest contract win confirms Safran's European leadership in the highly demanding market segment for onboard optronics. The Euroflir™410 system is designed and produced in France by Safran. The first H160 helicopters outfitted with the Euroflir™410 will be delivered in 2022. Safran also supplies Arrano turboshaft engines for the H160, along with other major equipment items.

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Safran is an international high-technology group, operating in the aircraft propulsion and equipment, space and defense markets. Safran has a global presence, with more than 92,000 employees and sales of 21 billion euros in 2018. Safran is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange, and is part of the CAC 40 and Euro Stoxx 50 indices.

Safran Electronics & Defense is a world leader in the supply of solutions and services in optronics, avionics, electronics and critical software for both civil and military markets. The company equips more than 1,000 ships, 25,000 land vehicles and 10,000 aircraft worldwide. 

For more information: www.safran-group.com and www.safran-electronics-defense.com / Follow @Safran and @SafranElecDef on Twitter