• Defence Helicopter

  First operational aerial refuel for French EC725s

  6th November 2015

  The French Air Force (Armée de l'air) has completed its first operational air-to-air refuelling of an EC725 (H225M) helicopter, marking a significant capability enhancement for …

• Digital Battlespace

  Africa SATCOMs restricted

  6th November 2015

  African nations have a fundamental issue with ground infrastructure that is holding the region back from full SATCOM capabilities. While SATCOMs, commercial or military, can offer …

• Defence Helicopter

  Sikorsky completes PDR for VH-92A

  5th November 2015

  Sikorsky Aircraft has completed the preliminary design review (PDR) for the VH-92A Presidential Helicopter Replacement programme, it was announced on 4 November.  According to the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  New team for firefighting demo

  5th November 2015

  Lockheed Martin has switched its unmanned firefighting team around as the K-MAX optionally-piloted vehicle and Stalker UAS line up to conduct a combined capability demonstration …

• Defence Helicopter

  Lockheed's Sikorsky acquisition imminent

  5th November 2015

  Lockheed Martin has received the final regulatory approval required to close its acquisition of Sikorsky Aircraft from United Technologies, Lockheed Martin announced on 3 November.  …

• Defence Helicopter

  D&S 2015: Transworld upgrading Thai helicopters

  5th November 2015

  Transworld Aviation (Thailand) is currently upgrading helicopters for the Thai military, with a new agreement to do the same for Royal Thai Police helicopters also …

• Defence Helicopter

  KAI helicopters set for global market

  4th November 2015

  Korea Aerospace Industries’ (KAI’s) Light Civil Helicopter (LCH) and Light Armed Helicopter (LAH) will be marketed globally under a new Memorandum of Understanding signed with …

• Defence Helicopter

  Russian Helicopters eyes Latin America

  3rd November 2015

  Russian Helicopters is to offer after-sales service and maintenance for helicopters operated in Latin America and the Caribbean under a new modernisation programme that will …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Global Hawk in Ex Southern Katipo

  2nd November 2015

  An RQ-4 Global Hawk from the US Air Force (USAF) will take part in the New Zealand Defence Force’s (NZDF’s) largest military exercise, Exercise Southern …

• Defence Helicopter

  FliteScene SRA introduced

  2nd November 2015

  Curtiss-Wright and Harris Government Communications Systems have collaborated to introduce a new pre-validated, pre-tested FliteScene Digital Mapping Solution and System Ready Application (SRA), it announced …

• Military Logistics

  Expansion of C295 capabilities planned

  2nd November 2015

  Trials will begin next year to add aerial refuelling (AR) and extremely short take-off and landing (XTOL) capabilities to the Airbus Defence and Space (DS) …

• Military Logistics

  Airbus to overcome A400M capability issues

  2nd November 2015

  Continuing trials to expand the capabilities of the A400M transport aircraft have identified several issues with the aircraft, including its inability to refuel helicopters or simultaneously …

• Land Warfare

  Vietnam chooses Israeli SAM

  30th October 2015

  In the latest sales success for Rafael’s SPYDER surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, Vietnam has emerged as a buyer of the Israeli weapon. Confirmation of Vietnam’s …

• Defence Helicopter

  Lite Flite becomes EN9100 certified

  29th October 2015

  Lite Flite has been issued EN9100:2009 certification for its quality management system, the company announced on 27 October.  Lite Flite is a Danish manufacturer of …

• Defence Helicopter

  USMC CH-53K lifts off

  28th October 2015

  The CH-53K King Stallion helicopter prototype has successfully completed its first flight, manufacturer Sikorsky announced on 27 October. The aircraft is currently in development for …

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 ...