• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AirMule UAS takes flight

  6th January 2016

  Tactical Robotics’ AirMule VTOL UAS has successfully completed its first untethered flight at the Megiddo airfield in northern Israel. The flight was conducted as part …

• Defence Helicopter

  Erickson to support MH-53E refurb

  6th January 2016

  Adams Communication & Engineering Technologies (ACET) has subcontracted Erickson Incorporated for the refurbishment of two US Navy MH-53E helicopters, Erickson announced on 5 January.  The work …

• Digital Battlespace

  USSOCOM EW contracts awarded

  5th January 2016

  The US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has issued funding to two companies to further develop new electronic warfare equipment for C-130J aircraft, it was announced …

• Defence Helicopter

  India makes Mi-25 Afghan donation

  5th January 2016

  The Afghan Air Force (AAF) is now in receipt of the first example of four Mil Mi-25 attack helicopters that are being donated by India. …

• Defence Helicopter

  Russia confirms Egyptian Ka-52 order

  4th January 2016

  Russian Helicopters has acknowledged for the first time the existence of a contract for 46 Ka-52 coaxial rotor attack helicopters for Egypt. Alexander Mikheev, director …

• Defence Helicopter

  Royal Navy says SAR-onara

  4th January 2016

  The Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm has officially ended its role in UK search and rescue (SAR) operations, concluding nearly 60 years of service. The …

• Defence Helicopter

  Thailand conducts H225M CSAR trials

  4th January 2016

  After the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) received a batch of four Airbus Helicopters H225M (EC725) Super Cougar helicopters last year, the type conducted its …

• Defence Helicopter

  HAL to manufacture Ka-226T

  4th January 2016

  An indigenous helicopter production deal between India and Russia was signed in late December after more than a year of negotiations.  The contract, sealed when …

• Defence Helicopter

  France orders more Tiger HAD helicopters

  24th December 2015

  The French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) has awarded a contract to Airbus Helicopters to supply seven additional Tiger HAD attack helicopters, the company announced on …

• Defence Helicopter

  US considers CH-47F aircraft sale

  22nd December 2015

  The US State Department is considering a potential foreign military sale (FMS) to Australia for CH-47F Chinook aircraft, related equipment and support worth up to …

• Defence Helicopter

  M-TADS/PNVS systems for India

  18th December 2015

  Lockheed Martin has been awarded a foreign military sale contract from the US Army to provide Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (M-TADS/PNVS) …

• Defence Helicopter

  AW101 on hold for Indonesia, for now

  18th December 2015

  Catering to domestic concerns, Indonesia’s president has overturned a decision by the national air force (TNI-AU) to acquire three AgustaWestland AW101 helicopters for VVIP use. …

• Defence Helicopter

  NHI delivers ASW NH90 to Sweden

  18th December 2015

  NHI has delivered the first NH90 in full anti-submarine warfare (ASW) configuration to the Swedish defence procurement Agency (FMW), the company announced on 17 December.  …

• Defence Notes

  Philippines boosts defence spending

  18th December 2015

  The Philippine Congress gave the Department of National Defence (DND) a shot in the arm with a 9.2% increase for the 2016 defence budget. The …

• Digital Battlespace

  Elbit announces C-MUSIC order

  17th December 2015

  Elbit Systems will supply multi-spectral infrared countermeasures to an unnamed customer in the Asia-Pacific region under a two-year $26.5 million contract announced on 16 December. …

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, 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 ...