• Land Warfare

  IDEX 2025: Milrem teams up with Pearson to develop large uncrewed demining platforms

  17th February 2025

  Milrem, known for its uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs), and Pearson with its experience in developing demining and improvised explosive device (IED) defeating engineering solutions, will bring the two capabilities together.

• Training

  Florida firm wins Bell 412 maintenance training contract in El Salvador

  2nd October 2024

  The deal, ECS’s 12th contract under the Enterprise Training Services Contract (ETSC) programme, will run from late-August 2024 to late-August 2025.

• Air Warfare

  Norway awards contract for Bell 412 helicopter modification

  3rd September 2024

  The modifications are intended to upgrade the fleet and extend their active lifespan.

• Air Warfare

  European next-generation rotorcraft programme moves closer to reality through new MoU

  21st October 2024

  Launched in 2020 and managed by NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), the Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability (NGRC) programme aims to replace medium multi-role capabilities ending their life cycle in 2035 and beyond.

• Air Warfare

  Analysis: UK government goes on decommissioning spree to balance defence budget

  21st November 2024

  UK defence secretary John Healey has announced the cancellation and decommissioning of naval and air force platforms to enable the government to “re-invest money in the armed forces” ahead of the upcoming Strategic Defence Review.

• Air Warfare

  Sikorsky’s UH-60M Black Hawk given boost as Greece and Australia share fleet updates

  29th October 2024

  Australia and Greece are among a group of nations who have recently placed orders for UH-60M Black Hawks to replace their ageing fleets and boost their armed forces’ operational capabilities.

• Air Warfare

  ‘Never done before’: tiltrotor technology and the future battlespace

  14th October 2024

  In conversation... Bell's Frank Lazzara talks to Shephard's Gerrard Cowan about the potential of tiltrotor designs to revolutionize U.S. Army maneuver operations, and how the technology could transform other mission sets across DoD and international armed services.

• Air Warfare

  Bell waits for imminent FLRAA Milestone B decision

  23rd July 2024

  Bell won FLRAA in late 2022. Since the cancellation of FARA earlier this year, it has committed more resources to the programme, with an eye on the possibility it could fulfil many Black Hawk replacement requirements worldwide

• Training

  Royal Jordanian Air Force takes delivery of five new Bell 505 aircraft at Farnborough

  25th July 2024

  The five helicopters complete an order of 10 Bell 505s placed in 2022.

• Air Warfare

  In focus: UK New Medium Helicopter programme down to one bidder

  3rd September 2024

  The end of the long procurement process could be in sight as both Airbus and Sikorsky pull out over bid criteria.

• Air Warfare

  Defence leaders call for strengthened supply chains and highlight security risks at Farnborough

  30th July 2024

  Under mostly clear skies, a couple of showers and the roar of the newest variant of Boeing’s venerable F-15, there was a lot of talk at Farnborough International Airshow 2024 about how to make supply chains stronger in the face of high demands and a lingering post-Covid pandemic effect.

• Air Warfare

  The last of the US new Presidential helicopters handed over

  20th August 2024

  The VH-92A is a militarised version of the S-92A and replaces the existing fleet of VH-3D, VH-60N and VH-92A helicopters.

• Air Warfare

  Poland signs for 96 Apache attack helicopters

  14th August 2024

  Poland selected the Apache two years ago and recently finalised details of an offset agreement. The Foreign Military Sale (FMS) Letter of Offer and Agreement (LOA) has sealed the deal.

• Air Warfare

  Introducing a Game-Changer to NATO’s New Security Environment

  23rd July 2024

  The ability to double the range and double the speed of conventional rotorcraft is a game changer for the challenges on the European continent.

• Air Warfare

  Slovakia approved for US$600 million AH-1Z helicopter order

  1st August 2024

  The US offered a dozen AH-1Z Viper helicopters to Slovakia at two-thirds discount with the latter sending fighter aircraft to Ukraine, which would extend H-1 production beyond 2024.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Bell 412EPI-Indonesia Forecast

  Programme Background PTDI is assembling Bell helicopters in its factory in Bandung.  The first Bell 412EPI was delivered to the Indonesian Army on 29 December ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  Bell 505 (South Korea - Army)

  Programme Background Requirement South Korea operates an ageing fleet of Bell UH-1s and MD 500s for training purposes. The country has already replaced a part of ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  Bell 505 (South Korea - Navy)

  Programme Background Requirement South Korea operates an ageing fleet of Bell UH-1s and MD 500s for training purposes. The country has already replaced a part of ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  Bell 412EPI-Indonesia

  Programme Background PTDI is assembling Bell helicopters in its factory in Bandung.  The first Bell 412EPI was delivered to Indonesian Army on 29 December 2020 ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Bell 412EP [Zambia]

  Programme Background  In January 2025, the US State Department approved an FMS of Bell 412EP helicopters along with the necessary training and logistical support services ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  Bell 407GX

  The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency noted that the proposed sale of five Bell 407GX helicopters will help compensate for the combat loss of seven IA407 helicopters ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-X [Japan]

  There is no mention of the AH-X in the 2019-2023 Medium Term Defence Plan, so it is possible that the requirement has quietly been postponed. ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  Bell 505 (Jordan)

  Programme Background Requirement The Jordanian Air Force has a requirement for training helicopters that are to be used in the King Hussein Air College. The country ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement In 2018, the US Army initiated the FARA project to develop a replacement for Army attack and scout helicopters, such as the OH-58D Kiowa and AH-64 ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-1Y [Romania]

  Programme Background The Romanian MoD has a long-standing requirement for new rotary platforms, including troop transport, supply and attack configurations. According to the the Romanian Military ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Huey II

  The last announced contract, valuing at $19 million, was awarded to Bell by US Army to supply Lebanon Air Force with there furnished Huey IIs ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  Kruk / AH-64E Apache [Poland]

  Programme Background In May 2019, Wojciech Skurkiewicz, the Polish deputy defence, released some details on the helicopter programme. Part of Poland's broader defence modernisation plan, the tender ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) [USA]

  Programme Background US Army's Future Vertical Lift Programme The FLRAA is one of three strands of a broader army programme. The others are the Future ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  AW169M (Austria)

  The aircraft was selected ahead of two light twin platforms – the Bell 429 and H145M - as it represented the best option for Vienna ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  Project Land 2097 Phase 4 [Australia]

  Programme Background According to the RfI, under Project Land 2097 Phase 4, the selected helicopter must comprise a commercial or military off-the-shelf solution that is ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - light/training

  Bell 505

  The Bell 505 is a light, single-engine helicopter initially designed for the utility, executive/passenger and law enforcement markets produced by Bell Textron. The Montenegrin Air ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Bell 412EPI

  Introduced in 2013, the Bell 412EPI is the latest production standard for Bell's venerable 412 family of utility helicopters. The 412EPI has a fully integrated ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Bell 412EPX

  The Bell 412EPX is a utility helicopter manufactured by Subaru. This platform improves upon the UH-1J/412-series helicopters. It has enhanced safety, performance, visibility, maintainability and ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Bell 412EP

  The Bell 412EP/CH-146 is a twin-engine, medium support helicopter derived from the Model 212/Twin Huey, produced by Bell in Canada. The 412EP was introduced in 1994. ...

• Helicopter engines

  T53

  The T53 is a turboshaft engine, designed for use on helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. More than 19,000 T53-series engines have been produced to date, powering ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  Bell 407/407M

  The 407, unveiled in 1995, is an outgrowth of the 206L-4 LongRanger design, outfitted with a four-bladed main rotor with a composite hub. There are ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  525 Relentless

  Bell Helicopter announced in February 2012 that it was developing the Model 525 Relentless. The Relentless features an ARC Horizon flight deck, including the Garmin ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Bell 212/UH-1N Twin Huey

  The UH-1N Twin Huey is a twin-engine, medium utility helicopter developed in 1968-69 from the single-engine Bell 205/UH-1H by Bell and Pratt & Whitney Canada. ...

• Helicopter engines

  CT7 Family

  GE Aviation's CT7 turboshaft and turboprop engines power 25 types of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, with more than 130 customers in more than 50 countries. ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  Bell 206L-4 LongRanger

  The Bell 206L-4 LongRanger is primarily a civil helicopter but is also used by the Argentine Army. 

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  OH-58 Kiowa

  The single-engine OH-58 Kiowa, derived from the Bell 206, entered US Army service in 1969 as a light observation helicopter. More than 2,200 were built for ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  V-247 Vigilant

  The V-247 Vigilant is a tiltrotor UAV from Bell. Officially introduced in 2016, it features an open modular architecture and can host several payloads. These include ...

• Interior equipment

  Dart Aerospace designs and manufactures skidtubes (using round I-beam technology), crosstubes, lightweight steps, bearpaws, emergency stretcher kits, shoulder harnesses, aircraft disabling devices, baskets, mirrors, spacedoors, ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  HSVTOL

  Bell, a subsidiary of Textron, revealed on 2 August 2021 the High-Speed VTOL (HSVTOL) UAS. According to Bell, the developmental UAS combines the hover capability of a ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Bell 360 Invictus

  The Bell 360 Invictus is the company's prototype for the US Army's Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) programme.  The helicopter features retractable weapon bays, two ...