• Uncrewed Vehicles

  KAI and IAI loiter with intent

  12th March 2021

  Integrating manned-unmanned teaming onto its aircraft platforms is uppermost in KAI's mind.

• Military Logistics

  Airbus applies SmartForce to Australian KC-30A fleet

  29th January 2021

  Airbus aims to optimise fault diagnosis and troubleshooting tasks for the refuelling boom system on the multi-role KC-30A.

• Defence Notes

  General Atomics subsidiary takes on Dornier 228 manufacturing

  1st March 2021

  RUAG International completes sale of RUAG Aerospace Services to General Atomics Europe.

• Land Warfare

  British MoD awards Thales UK a £98 million air defence missile contract

  4th March 2021

  Thales UK won a five-year contract to maintain the SHORAD capability for the British Army and Royal Marines. The £98.4 million (US $136 million) deal will secure 119 jobs at the company’s facility in Belfast.

• Defence Notes

  Israeli F-35s operating from ‘Gulf soil’ a genuine possibility

  8th March 2021

  New possibilities for Israeli F-35s could be on the way, including the aircraft being fielded from 'Gulf soil' to better counter Iranian threats.

• Air Warfare

  PBS presents fuel-lubricated jet engine for UAV and UCAV (sponsored)

  19th February 2021

  Prvni brnenska strojirna Velka Bites (PBS), an EASA certificated aerospace manufacturer from the Czech Republic, is launching new high-performance jet engines. Last year, PBS delivered their 1,000th PBS TJ100 turbojet engine and are now adapting to the disposable applications market‘s demands. To do this, they are launching a fuel lubricated version of the highly reliable, world-proven jet engine PBS TJ100, which has the added benefit of being lighter in weight and cheaper to buy.

• Naval Warfare

  Japan commissions ocean surveillance ship

  7th March 2021

  As Chinese submarines venture farther afield, neighbours such as Japan need new naval assets to see whether they are intruding.

• Defence Helicopter

  Australia denies any interest in HH-60W CRH

  19th February 2021

  Contrary to past reports linking Australia to interest in an order for HH-60W combat helicopters, there is no such connection, according to the country's Department of Defence.

• Defence Notes

  Czechs break new ground with export support agency

  8th March 2021

  The Czech Republic will be the first country in Central and Eastern Europe to operate an agency promoting national military exports at the government-to-government level.

• Military Logistics

  IDEX 2021: SAMI seals MRO JV with Lockheed Martin

  25th February 2021

  New JV will produce, maintain and repair helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and missile defence systems.

• Naval Warfare

  NAVDEX 2021: MBDA announces first international customer for VL MICA NG

  25th February 2021

  New-generation version of VL MICA air defence system is ordered by Egypt.

• Naval Warfare

  Capability gaps hamper Varan aircraft carrier

  17th February 2021

  A somewhat unfamiliar design — and the lack in Russia of a carrier-based AWACS capability — suggest that the Nevsky Design Bureau has bitten off more than it can chew.

• Defence Helicopter

  South Korea goes on the attack with helicopters

  11th February 2021

  Attack helicopters are the object of desire for both the army and marines in South Korea, both new platforms and upgrades of existing assets.

• Defence Helicopter

  Jamaica orders Bell 505s

  9th February 2021

  Helicopters to be used for training and public safety missions.

• Defence Helicopter

  New Sky Viper ready to disrupt FARA

  11th March 2021

  Northrop Grumman has revealed a 20mm chain gun named Sky Viper — will it be considered as an alternative to the General Dynamics XM915 cannon?

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72 Follow On

  Programme Background In March 2019, Airbus stated that it expected orders from the US Army for between 12 and 15 UH-72A helicopters. In March 2020, ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  H225M - France

  Programme Background In April 2021, the French government signed a deal for the purchase of eight H225M Airbus helicopters to replace its ageing fleet of SA330 ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  H145M [Ireland]

  Programme Background On 30 December 2024 Ireland announced a contract with Airbus for four new H145M helicopters to replace the Air Corps existing fleet of ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  TH-73 Advanced Helicopter Training System - AHTS (TH-57 Replacement)

  Contenders for the competition included the Leonardo single engine TH-119 – a military variant of the AW119Kx – and Bell’s newly upgraded single engine 407GXi. ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  H145 Helicopter [Honduras]

  Programme Background  The Honduran Government has purchased a total of four H145 Helicopters manufactured by Airbus to develop the armed forces preparedness against natural disasters ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  Maritime Operations Helicopters

  The three maritime operations helicopters will be used for logistics and personnel transport, alongside transportation of PASKAL naval special forces in operations in the area. ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  SW4 Puszczyk Replacement [Poland]

  Programme Background  In 2002, Poland order 47 SW4 training helicopters from Italian manufacturer Leonardo; as of Spring 2025, the Ministry of Defence is looking to ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  NH-90 [Spain]

  Programme Background Along with a range of other air programmes, the Spanish Government announced the nation has set aside 1 billion euros (USD$1.162 billion) to ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  Future Aircrew Training Program (Helicopter Procurement) - Canada

  Programme Background The FAcT requires to graduate 120 pilots, 40 combat systems officers and 36 airborne electronic sensor operators per year with 15% fluctuation. Training services ...

• 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 - transport/heavy lift

  Spain HT-29 Caiman (NH90 TTH) - Army First Batch

  HT-29 Caiman GSPAs (NH90 TTH) will be assembled at Airbus Helicopters’ facility in Albacete and will replace AS332 Super Puma fleet in service. Even though ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  AW101 [Poland]

  According to the media reports, Airbus couldn't provide a competitive offer for the programme due to the offset requirements.  The deliveries were to be completed ...

• 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 - multirole

  H145M [Spain]

  Programme Background  In May 2025, Spain announced the National Helicopter Plan as part of the country's wider effort to rearm in response to American pressure. ...

• Military helicopters - light/training, Military helicopters - multirole

  H135M [Spain]

  Programme Background Spain announced the National Helicopter Plan in May 2025 culminating in five contracts awarded to Airbus on 18 December 2025, including procurement programmes ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - light/training

  H145

  The light, twin-engine EC145 began as an initiative to increase the cabin size of the BK 117 C1 aircraft, involving Kawasaki of Japan and Airbus ...

• Model 301 Fire Attack

  The Model 301 is a belly tank/refill hose system for Airbus Helicopters AS365-series helicopters.

• Military helicopters - light/training, Military helicopters - multirole

  H135M

  The H135M (formerly known as the EC635 and also designated as H135) is a light utility variant of the EC135 twin-engine, multipurpose 3t helicopter. In ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  H145M

  The H145M (formerly known as the EC645 T2) is the military version of the H145 medium-sized (3.7t) helicopter (covered in a separate entry). It is ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  H225M

  The medium-weight, 11t-class H225M (formerly known as the EC725) is the latest military Super Puma/Cougar family member.  Technical features include a modular design of mechanical ...

• Model 316 Fire Attack

  The Model 316 is a belly tank/refill hose system for Airbus Helicopters H225 and AS332 L-series helicopters.

• AC67 Airbus Helicopters H135 interior

  Bucher has developed the AC67 medical interior for the Airbus Helicopters H135 in cooperation with ADAC Luftrettung.The lightweight, modular design features a floor with integrated ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  H215M

  The H215M (formerly the AS532 ALe) is the most recent addition to the Cougar family.  It is a medium-weight (9t-class), twin-engine helicopter, combining the AS532's ...

• Air: mission management systems

  Helionix

  The Helionix digital avionics suite was developed from the need for a more powerful avionics system with greater functions and computing capacity, alongside a user-friendly interface. ...

• Helicopter engines

  Arriel 2+/2D

  Unveiled in 2011, the Arriel 2+ is an upgrade of the Arriel 2 and is intended for single- and twin-engine helicopters. It incorporates a new ...

• Helicopter engines

  LTS101

  The LTS101 was first certified in 1975. Since then, over 2,100 engines have been delivered to customers worldwide, logging over 11 million service hours. The ...

• EO/IR systems

  Viviane

  Viviane is an out-of-production gyro-stabilised night and adverse weather observation system with missile sight.  Manufactured by Safran, it was fitted to French Army Gazelles. It contained a ...

• Air: mission management systems

  APM 2000

  The current generation of autopilots is the APM 2000 family, fitted on major worldwide platforms. The APM 2000 is based on an integrated digital computer. ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  H175M

  The Airbus H175M is the military variant of the H175 and works to fill a gap in the H175 helicopter family, as well as offer ...

• H160

  Airbus Helicopters unveiled a full-scale model of the H160 medium twin rotorcraft on 3 March 2015 at Heli-Expo. The utility helicopter, the first to be ...