• Defence Helicopter

  USSOCOM seeks helicopter sensor turret

  22nd November 2017

  The US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), Technology Application Contracting Office (TAKO) has released an RfI identifying government interest in a turreted EO sensor system for …

• Defence Helicopter

  CSRA to modernise H-60 Seahawks

  21st November 2017

  CSRA has received a $38.5 million task order from the US Navy to update various models of the H-60 Seahawk helicopter, the company announced on …

• Defence Helicopter

  Bangladesh receives first AW119Kx trainer

  15th November 2017

  In late October the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) received the first of two AW119Kx rotorcraft on order from Leonardo Helicopters. Befitting their training role, the …

• Defence Helicopter

  Russian Navy receives modernised Ka-29s

  14th November 2017

  The Russian Navy’s Pacific Fleet has received six modernised Ka-29 ship-based combat transport helicopters, the Russian Ministry of Defence announced on 9 November. The helicopters …

• Defence Notes

  D&S 2017: Malaysian budget promises new equipment

  30th October 2017

  The Malaysian government has given the go-ahead for the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) to purchase four maritime patrol aircraft and the Malaysian Army to …

• Defence Helicopter

  HForce-equipped H145M tested

  14th November 2017

  Airbus Helicopters has completed a ballistic development test of an HForce weapon system on the H145M helicopter at Pápa Airbase in Hungary, the company announced …

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2017: Rockwell Collins and CAE team up for I-LVC

  27th November 2017

  It appears the Operation Blended Warrior will not be the only I-LVC event to take place at I/ITSEC 2017. Rockwell Collins and CAE have teamed …

• Defence Notes

  Dubai Airshow 2017: Day two highlights (video)

  13th November 2017

  Rotary editor Helen Haxell provides highlights from the second day of the Dubai Airshow, including significant details and updates from Russian Helicopters and the Eurofighter …

• Defence Helicopter

  Russia’s WMD receives eight Ka-52s

  14th November 2017

  The helicopter regiment of the Russian armed forces’ Western Military District (WMD) has received eight Ka-52 attack helicopters, the Russian Ministry of Defence announced on …

• Digital Battlespace

  Analysis: China’s CETC unveils new radars

  16th November 2017

  China is rapidly developing radar and identification, friend and foe (IFF) systems through extensive research and development. Indeed, China is offering lessons learned to the …

• Defence Helicopter

  GE Aviation receives T408 LRIP contract

  22nd November 2017

  GE Aviation has received a $140 million low-rate initial production (LRIP) contract from the US Naval Air Systems Command to build 22 T408-GE-400 engines to …

• Defence Helicopter

  RNZAF helicopters achieve milestones on exercise

  14th November 2017

  NHIndustries NH90 and Leonardo AW109LUH helicopters of No.3 Squadron from the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) both achieved milestones during Exercise Southern Katipo in …

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2017: DiSTI launches GL Studio v.6.1

  23rd November 2017

  Visualisation and 3D virtual maintenance trainer (VMT) specialists, Orlando-based DiSTI Corporation has released v.6.1 of its GL Studio product, the first major iteration of v.6 that …

• Defence Notes

  Dubai Airshow 2017: Day one highlights (video)

  12th November 2017

  Rotary editor Helen Haxell runs through the highlights of the first day at the Dubai Airshow 2017 including the wide presence of UAVs from around …

• Defence Notes

  Dubai Airshow 2017: Day three highlights (video)

  14th November 2017

  It's day three of the Dubai Airshow and Rotary Editor Helen Haxell runs through news from the first day of the UAS summit as well …

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 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 - scout/light attack

  MD-530G [Lebanon]

  Background Order context The Lebanese MD-530 order was placed during a visit of US Central Command Commander General Joseph Votel in December 2017.  MD 530F ...

• Hybrid effector systems

  US Air Force Air Base Defence Missile Defence [US]

  Background The US Air Force's (USAF) Air Base Air Defence Missile Defence (ABAD MD) programme is part of the Air Force Physical Security System and sits ...

• 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]

  Background Global Hawk Early in the development of the Global Hawk, the German MoD also expressed interest in procuring the aircraft as a replacement for ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72 Follow-On [USA]

  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 - multirole

  Multirole Helicopters [Poland]

  Programme Background In 2020, Poland announced the launch of the Perkoz programme to acquire 32 support helicopters to replace its fleet of Mi-2 aircraft stationed ...

• 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 - transport/heavy lift

  H225M [France]

  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 Puma ...

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 ...

• 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 ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  MD 500

  US-based MD Helicopters' 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 ...

• 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 helicopters - scout/light attack

  MD 530G

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

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  MD-1366 EBEM

  The US government selected the MD-1366 Enhanced Bandwidth Efficient Modem (EBEM) from ViaSat to set the DoD standard for high-speed, high-performance,flexibility and compatibility in a ...

• EO/IR systems

  Wescam MX-10

  The Wescam MX-10 EO/IR low-weight imaging system is designed for low-altitude tactical surveillance and reconnaissance missions from crewed and uncrewed aircraft. The MX-10 has had a close ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Night Intruder 600 Vertical Take-Off (NI-600VT)

  The Night Intruder 600 Vertical Take-Off (NI-600VT) is an in-development UAV from Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) based on an MD 500 twin-seat American commercial helicopter airframe. With the ...