• Air Warfare

  VIDEO: Progress continues with FVL

  28th April 2020

  The US Army initiated the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) programme in 2018 to develop a replacement for its attack and scout helicopters as part …

• Air Warfare

  Luxembourg’s new A400M makes maiden flight

  14th April 2020

  Airbus on 13 April confirmed that the Luxembourg Armed Forces’ new A400M airlifter has carried out its maiden flight at Seville Airport in Spain. The …

• Defence Helicopter

  UAE secures spares and repairs for helicopter fleet via FMS

  24th April 2020

  The UAE is to receive common spares/repair parts from the US for its fleet of AH-64 Apache, UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47 Chinook (pictured) helicopters, …

• Defence Helicopter

  Canadian CH-148 loses contact in Mediterranean

  30th April 2020

  The Canadian Armed Forces Operations reported on 29 April that a CH-148 Cyclone (H-92) aircraft lost contact with the HMCS Fredericton whilst partaking in exercises …

• Air Warfare

  Germany shows tentative interest in Apache

  27th March 2020

  Shephard understands that the German federal government has asked its US counterpart for information about the Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopter. Over the years, Boeing …

• Defence Helicopter

  Northrop Grumman upgrades US Army UH-60V cockpits

  22nd April 2020

  Northrop Grumman confirmed on 22 April that it has provided the US Army with new digital cockpit upgrades for its UH-60V Black Hawk helicopters. The …

• Naval Warfare

  PLAN deploys to the Gulf of Aden

  29th April 2020

  The Chinese Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced on 28 April that it has deployed its 35th task force from the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) …

• Defence Helicopter

  Progress Arsenyev Aviation continues helicopter production

  20th April 2020

  Progress Arsenyev Aviation Company, a subsidiary of Russian Helicopters Holding, is continuing production of its aircraft despite the growing number of confirmed COVID-19 coronavirus cases …

• Defence Notes

  US risks further erosion of global influence with confused strategy

  28th May 2020

  Amid the fallout from the global COVID-19 pandemic, as nations try to chart a way out of the crisis and focus on recovery, there has …

• Training

  NAF trains new helicopter backdoor gunners

  13th April 2020

  The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on 6 April announced that 18 of its personnel and 12 members of the Nigerian Army have completed training as …

• Defence Helicopter

  Italy approves AW169MA order for army

  21st April 2020

  The Italian MoD's Air Force Armaments and Airworthiness Directorate (AFAAD) has approved the acquisition of 15 new Leonardo AW169MA advanced multirole helicopters and associated technical support, …

• Air Warfare

  PCO to manufacture Toplite in Poland

  21st April 2020

  Israel-based Rafael and Polish Armaments Group (Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa, PGZ) subsidiary PCO are working together to produce the Toplite EOS electro-optic (EO) system for the …

• Digital Battlespace

  US Army programme blends cyber with traditional EW

  3rd May 2020

  Lockheed Martin is set to expand its work on the US Army’s Multi-Function Electronic Warfare Air Large (MFEW-AL) programme, with the aim of combining EW …

• Defence Helicopter

  Utility helicopter OEMs eye Spike

  18th March 2020

  Rafael continues to offer its Spike family of antitank guided missiles as a weapons upgrade for various types of utility helicopter. Spike variants already arm …

• Air Warfare

  USMC adjusts its air power priorities

  4th May 2020

  In issuing the Force Design 2030 report into the future direction of the USMC, the corps is attempting to steer the course of its development, …

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 ...