• Defence Notes

  Iran in the dock over potential Ukrainian airliner downing

  10th January 2020

  Don't miss out on more news and analysis from Shephard Media. Sign up to our Premium News. Firm conclusions about how Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 crashed, killing all 176 …

• Defence Helicopter

  CMV-22B Osprey​ in first flight operations

  22nd January 2020

  The first CMV-22B Osprey aircraft has carried out its first flight operations at Bell’s Amarillo Assembly Center. The aircraft, built by Boeing and Bell Textron …

• Defence Helicopter

  Lockheed Martin awarded missile contract modification

  17th January 2020

  Lockheed Martin has received a $9.8 million contract modification from the US Army, the US Department of Defense announced on 16 January. The company will …

• Naval Warfare

  Carriers, submarines and frigates all part of Russia’s future navy plan

  30th December 2019

  The Russian government has been increasingly voluble on its plans for an expansion of its navy in the coming years, with a series of recent …

• Naval Warfare

  Tech demonstrations could be part of Prince of Wales 2021 deployment

  30th January 2020

  The first deployment of HMS Prince of Wales (foreground), second of the UK RN’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, in 2021 could see the platform being used …

• Defence Helicopter

  Boeing responds to German heavy-lift helicopter tender

  14th January 2020

  Boeing is offering the H-47 Chinook for the German armed forces’ New Heavy Lift Helicopter Schwerer Transporthubschrauber (STH) programme, the company announced on 14 January. …

• Digital Battlespace

  Cambridge Pixel introduces ASD-View

  22nd January 2020

  Cambridge Pixel has added ASD-View to its air surveillance product portfolio as a response to growing demand for the visualisation of ADS-B aircraft data in …

• Defence Helicopter

  Winning streak continues as Leonardo scoops USN trainer award

  14th January 2020

  Leonardo has beaten off competition from Airbus, Bell and two other contenders to win the USN’s TH-73A trainer helicopter programme, with its offer coming in $265 million …

• Defence Helicopter

  CIRCM in new US Army testing

  16th January 2020

  Northrop Grumman's Common Infrared Countermeasure (CIRCM) system for the US Army has undergone new tests at White Sands Missile Range. The free flight missile testing …

• Defence Helicopter

  Sikorsky, Rheinmetall submit German STH bid

  16th January 2020

  Sikorsky and Rheinmetall have submitted their joint bid for the German Air Force’s new heavy-lift transport helicopter (STH) programme. Based on the Sikorsky CH-53K King …

• Defence Helicopter

  Malaysia decides to retire Nuri helicopter fleet

  9th January 2020

  The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) will phase out its Sikorsky S-61A Nuri fleet, said its newly appointed chief Gen Ackbal Samad on 7 January. …

• Defence Helicopter

  Rheinmetall, Thales team for rocket solutions

  7th January 2020

  Rheinmetall and Thales have signed an agreement to jointly support future developments, qualification and production of 70mm (2.75”) guided and unguided rocket solutions for opportunities …

• Defence Helicopter

  US AFGSC names MH-139A helicopter

  3rd January 2020

  US Air Force Global Strike Command named the MH-139A helicopter ‘Grey Wolf’ during a naming ceremony at Duke Field on 19 December, 2019.The helicopters have …

• Defence Notes

  JF-17 Block III fighter takes to the air

  8th January 2020

  The JF-17 Block III fighter achieved its maiden flight from the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group’s (CAIG's) facility in Chengdu-Huangtianba in Sichuan on 15 December 2019. …

• Defence Notes

  Myanmar inducts more JF-17B fighters

  18th December 2019

  The Myanmar Air Force inducted two JF-17B Thunder fighters, as well as eight other aircraft and helicopters, during a ceremony marking the 72nd anniversary of …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - attack

  Mi-28UB - Russia

  Programme BackgroundThe Russian MoD plans to acquire up to 60 Mi-28UB aircraft for the Russian Air Force by mid-2020s. Moscow signed a contract with Russian Helicopters ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  Mi-28UB - Forecast [Russia]

  Programme Background The Russian MoD plans to acquire up to 60 Mi-28UB aircraft for the Russian Air Force by mid-2020s. Moscow signed a contract with Russian ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  Ka-52K Katran [Russia]

  Programme Background The Ka-52K Katran is a navalised version of the Ka-52 Alligator reconnaissance and attack helicopter.  The history of the Ka-52K is aligned with ...

• 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 - light/training

  AW119Kx [Bosnia and Herzegovina]

  Programme Background  In May 2025, the U.S. State Department approved an FMS to Bosnia and Herzegovina for approximately $100 million including 8 AW119Kx helicopters and a ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  Mi-26T2 Halo [Russia]

  Programme Background The original Mi-26 was initially revealed to the West at the Paris airshow in June 1981. In terms of carrying capacity (weight and ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-1Y Venom (Czechia)

  Programme Background Czech Armed Forces intended to use the UH-1Y Venom helicopters in various missions including utility, search and rescue, aerial reconnaissance, air-to-ground support and ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  CH-47D Replacement [Thailand]

  Programme Background The RTA divested its six Boeing CH-47D Chinooks after failing to sell the 25-year-old aircraft on the second-hand market. Thailand found Chinook maintenance ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Ka-226T- Air Force [India]

  Programme Background India had operated a diverse and antiquated fleet of helicopters to support its high-altitude operations along contested borders with China and Pakistan. Reducing ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  T129 (Nigeria)

  Programme Background Requirement The Nigerian Air Force has an ongoing requirement for attack helicopters in order to assist the country's ongoing counter-insurgency operations. Nigeria already ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Ka-226T - Army [India]

  Programme Background India had operated a diverse and antiquated fleet of helicopters to support its high-altitude operations along contested borders with China and Pakistan. Reducing ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  Naval Utility Helicopters [India]

  Programme Background The programme would have involved the formation of a joint venture between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and another local or foreign manufacturer. In June ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-1Z Viper [Czech Republic]

  Programme Background On 3 May 2019, it was announced that the US State Department had approved a possible FMS of four AH-1Z Vipers to the Czech ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  Heavy-lift Helicopter STH [Germany]

  Programme Background The German government issued a tender in March 2019 for the procurement of heavy-lift helicopters under the Schwerer Transporthubschrauber (STH) program, 60 units are ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  Heavy Lift Helicopter [Philippines]

  Programme Background Procurement from Russia In November 2021, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana confirmed that a contract had been signed to acquire 16 Mi-171 heavy ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  Mi-38

  Russian Helicopters' Mi-38 medium-lift helicopter is designed to compete with the Leonardo AW101 and Sikorsky S-92 in both the civil and military markets. The first ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  Mi-28UB

  Russian Helicopters unveiled the Mi-28UB rotorcraft at the International Aviation and Space Salon (MAKS 2013) exhibition. As the combat training modification of the Mi-28NE Night ...

• Model 327 Fire Attack

  The Model 327 is a belly tank/refill hose system designed for the Russian Helicopters Ansat.

• Model 328 Fire Attack

  The Model 328 is a belly tank/refill hose system designed for the Russian Helicopters Ka-32.

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

  BAS-750

  The BAS-750, or БАС-750, is a rotary-wing UAS unveiled at Army 2022 by Russian Helicopters. Described as a multifunctional UAV, it can host various payloads to complete several mission ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  Mi-28N/Mi-28NM

  The Mi-28N is a Russian attack helicopter manufactured by Russian Helicopters for use by the Russian Armed Forces. The helicopter is twin-engined with tandem seating ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  NSTsI-V

  Developed by KRET, the NSTsI-V is a helmet-mounted targeting and display system for pilots. The system projects an image onto the transparent screen in front of ...

• Helicopter guns

  YAK-B

  The YAK-B is a four-barrel 12.7x108mm Gatling gun. The system is remotely controlled, using a gas-operated mechanism, and offers a high rate of fire. It ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Ansat

  The Ansat is a light, multipurpose, twin-engine helicopter designed and built by Kazan Helicopters. The helicopter is able to carry up to six fully equipped troops, ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Mi-171Sh

  The Mi-8AMTSh (domestic)/Mi-171Sh (export) is a civil and military transport helicopter that was developed from the Mi-8MT/Mi-17 by the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant. The type is built ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  Rychag-AVM

  KRET’s Rychag-AVM radio frequency jammer is designed to perform electronic attack against hostile communications and radar systems. The Rychag-AVM ensemble is mounted onboard dedicated Mil ...

• Land: RWS

  Nanuk Russian

  Rheinmetall Canada's Nanuk RWS family includes this variant for non-NATO weapons, which combines full stabilisation, long-range day/night all-weather sights and a versatile weapon cradle that ...

• Land: RWS

  Qimek Russian

  Rheinmetall's Qimek single-weapon RWS family includes a variant for non-NATO weapons, which combines full stabilisation, long-range day/night all-weather sights and a versatile weapon cradle for ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  Kopyo-A

  The Kopyo-A is a Russian, multipurpose radar intended for deployment on helicopters. It is designed for coastal monitoring, search and detection of sea surface and ground ...

• Military helicopters - attack, Military helicopters - multirole

  Mi-35M

  The Mi-35M is a multirole combat helicopter used for ground attack, assault and cargo transport. It is the current production version of Rostvertol's Mi-24/35. Designed ...