The French Navy have conducted the first close naval interaction between a H160M Guépard prototype and the fleet replenishment tanker BRF Jacques Stosskopf during the vessel's departure from Toulon. The proximity flight focused on evaluating the helicopter's sensor performance in response to magnetic and electromagnetic effects generated by a large naval ship, without performing a deck landing.

During the fleet replenishment tanker BRF Jacques Stosskopf's departure from the Toulon naval base to begin a long-duration deployment, the H160M prototype No. 1 operated in an armed configuration but did not land on the ship's deck. The objective was not a landing exercise, but to observe how the helicopter's sensors react when flying close to a large naval vessel. Ships of this size generate magnetic and electromagnetic fields that can affect onboard systems, and testing under these conditions early helps Airbus prepare the helicopter for future operations at sea.

This naval interaction between the H160M and the Jacques Stosskopf follows the first flight of the military variant of the Airbus H160, a medium twin-engine helicopter developed as a successor to the AS365 Dauphin and positioned in the 6-tonne class.