• Defence Helicopter

  Sikorsky secures US Army contract modification

  11th March 2020

  Sikorsky was awarded a $525.4 million contract modification by US Army Contracting Command on 10 March. This allows Sikorsky to exercise contract options on the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Indian Army loiters with intent

  17th March 2020

  The Indian Army released a global RfI on 6 March for approximately 100 man-portable loitering munitions that possess a line-of-sight range of at least 15km. …

• Defence Helicopter

  Boeing to oversee UK Apache’s post-production services

  10th March 2020

  Boeing has secured a $191.85 million cost-no-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price contract to provide post-production services for the UK’s AH-64E Apache helicopter fleet. This will include maintenance …

• Naval Warfare

  MBDA succeeds in first trial firing of Sea Venom

  6th March 2020

  MBDA has carried out its first qualification firing trial for the Sea Venom/ANL anti-ship missile. The test was carried out at the DGA Essais de …

• Defence Helicopter

  Royal Navy Merlin Mk2s hunt subs in the Ionian Sea

  26th February 2020

  The Royal Navy’s Merlin Mk2 helicopters are being put through their paces during NATO’s annual test of anti-submarine forces in the Ionian Sea. The Flying …

• Defence Helicopter

  Kenya to receive MD-530F​ helicopters in US FMS

  24th January 2020

  The Kenya Defence Force (KDF) is to receive six MD-530F helicopters under a US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme. The programme was announced by the …

• Digital Battlespace

  Leonardo to upgrade Italian land and naval IFF systems

  5th March 2020

  Leonardo will provide new-generation IFF (NGIFF) systems to land and naval platforms operated by the Italian Armed Forces, to bring them to a Mode 5 …

• Defence Helicopter

  India orders Apaches, this time for the army

  27th February 2020

  President Donald Trump’s visit to India provided a suitable PR backdrop for India and the US to sign a deal for six AH-64E Apache attack …

• Defence Helicopter

  Boeing unveils its US Army FARA design

  3rd March 2020

  Boeing revealed its prototype design for the US Army’s Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) which will gradually replace the retired Bell OH-58D Kiowa Warrior. The …

• Defence Helicopter

  US Army savours FARA respite but hurts from COVID-19 budget shortfall

  27th March 2020

  Following the on-schedule downselect of Bell and Sikorsky to compete for the Future Armed Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) prototype design and test phase, the US Army has confirmed it sees …

• Air Warfare

  India inks MH-60R deal during Trump visit

  25th February 2020

  The Indian Navy (IN) inched closer to filling a crucial void when a letter of acceptance for 24 MH-60R multirole helicopters and worth approximately $2.12 …

• Defence Helicopter

  Sikorsky receives LRIP Lot II VH-92A contract

  21st February 2020

  Sikorsky has received a Low Rate Initial Production Lot II contract from the US Navy to build six production VH-92A Presidential helicopters. The build forms …

• Defence Helicopter

  US Army completes engine tests on next-gen Apache

  28th February 2020

  The Program Office for Army Aviation’s Advanced Turbine Engine Project Office announced on 27 February that is has carried out successful tests of the next-generation power …

• Digital Battlespace

  Singapore Airshow 2020: Orion first to join the ‘bandwagon’

  13th February 2020

  TRD debuted the Orion-H+ at Singapore Airshow 2020, as the latest addition to its range of lightweight C-UAS systems. Orion-H+ has been in development since …

• Defence Helicopter

  Leonardo to open new São Paulo Helicopter Support Centre

  17th February 2020

  Leonardo has announced the construction of a new Helicopter Support Centre in Itapevi near São Paulo, Brazil. The centre will ‘enhance service capabilities in South America’, …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  MD 530F -Kenya

  Crew transition training took place at the MD Helicopters headquarters in Mesa, Arizona, with field service support, armament, and gunnery training scheduled to occur at ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  MD 530G - Malaysia

  Procured for an urgent operational requirement for gunships to support Eastern Sabah Security Command operations, helicopter deliveries had to slip from a planned delivery of ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  MD 530G Lebanon

  The Armed MD 530G Scout Attack Helicopter features next-generation all-glass cockpit that includes: two Genesys Aerosystems IDU-680 6” x 9” LCD primary displays, Tek Fusion ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Uncrewed MD 500 Replacement [South Korea]

  Background Uncrewed Replacement of the MD 500 Throughout the 2010s, South Korea appeared interested in replacing its fleet of crewed MD 500 helicopters that were manufactured under licence ...

• 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 ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  Light Armed Helicopter (LAH) First Batch (South Korea)

  Programme Background The LAH is the first time that the South Korean OEM has developed an armed helicopter. The project kicked off in June 2015, ...

• 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 - attack

  Light Armed Helicopter (Second Batch) [South Korea]

  Programme Background The LAH is the first time that the South Korean OEM has developed an armed helicopter. The project kicked off in June 2015, ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  MQ-4C Triton - Germany (Cancelled)

  Programme Background Germany requested to buy four MQ-4C Triton HALE UAVs from Northrop Grumman. On 5 April 2018, the US State Department announced that it ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8, Main battle tanks

  Tracked & Wheeled Light Tank (Philippines)

  Programme Background The decision to split the programme into a wheeled and a tracked element follows the belief of the Philippine Army that this will ...

• 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

  UH-60A [Portugal]

  Programme Background At the end of February 2025, the Portuguese Minister of National Defence said that as part of the Portuguese Army's Support, Protection & ...

• 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 - multirole

  H145M (Contracted) [Germany]

  Programme Background Previous Usage The German Armed Forces ordered 15 H145M helicopters, with the initial two delivered in December 2015, for the Kommando Spezialkräfte. These ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  MD 530F Cayuse Warrior

  An evolution of the OH-6 Cayuse light observation helicopter, the MD 530F was initially Federal Aviation Administration-certified in July 1985 as the Model 369FF. It ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  MD 530G

  The MD 530G is the newest addition to the MD Helicopters line of light scout attack platforms. It has increased-capacity landing gear and a mission-configurable ...

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  MDHI Glass Cockpit

  The American aerospace manufacturer MD Helicopters Inc. (MDHI) has designed and developed a glass cockpit specifically for MD 500E AND MD 520N aircraft. It is ...

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  IDU-680

  The IDU-680 is Genesys Aerosystems’ 3D synthetic vision integrated Electronic Flight Instrument System. The system includes a Highway in the Sky navigation system, geo-referenced hover ...

• Helicopter guns

  FN HMP

  The FN HMP (Heavy Machine Gun Pod) is a self-contained airborne weapon system armed with a 50cal FN M3P heavy machine gun. It is available ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  KUS-VH

  The Korean Air Korean Air Unmanned System-Vertical Helicopter (KUS-VH) is a large, rotary-wing UAV based on the MD 500. The first flight of the platform ...

• Helicopter Armour

  Armor of America (AoA) produces custom armour kits for any rotary-wing aircraft. AoA helicopter armour protects areas such as the cockpit floor and doors, cabin ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  6XX

  Publicly unveiled at Heli-Expo in March 2017, the MD Helicopters 6XX is the next evolution in the MD 500 series and is a redesigned, single-engine ...

• Helicopter engines

  M250-C30

  The M250-C30 and -C30P are the exclusive powerplants for the Bell 206L-4 LongRanger and the MD Helicopters MD 530F and MD 530G. In addition, the AH-6i is ...

• HEMS Completions

  RSG has been providing modification, retrofit, completion services and component overhaul to the air medical industry for over 38 years on aircraft produced by Airbus ...

• HS-16600

  Breeze-Eastern's HS-16600 external electric hoist system is operational on the Leonardo Helicopters AW109 and AW119, Bell Helicopter 206 and 222, and MD 500. It is ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  MD 500

  The MD 500 is a single-engine light helicopter derived from the Hughes OH-6A Cayuse developed for the US Army in the early 1960s and the ...

• EO/IR systems

  LEO-III

  The LEO-III, or LEO-III HD, was an airborne observation system with HD sensors and video outputs. It was a COTS, gyro-stabilised platform containing a multi-sensor HD ...

• Airborne rockets - unguided

  Aculeus MD-36 and MD-432

  The Aculeus MD-36 unguided multi-dart rocket provides 36 darts for the neutralisation of columns of light armoured vehicles. The Aculeus MD-432 provides 432 darts to ...

• Helicopter engines

  M250-C47E

  The C47E is the latest growth variant of the C47B/8 engine. In addition to a hot-and-high Value Improvement Package Kit, the C47E also includes dual-channel ...