• Defence Helicopter

  USAF Ospreys to deploy to Japan in 2017

  13th May 2015

  The Pentagon has announced it will begin deploying its first squadron of Bell Boeing CV-22 Ospreys to Japan in 2017. The specially modified tiltrotor aircraft …

• Defence Helicopter

  Russian Helicopters, AVIC sign framework agreement for AHL

  12th May 2015

  Russian Helicopters and Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) have signed a framework agreement to develop a heavy-lift helicopter called the Advanced Heavy Lift (AHL) …

• Defence Helicopter

  India gets two repaired Ka-31 helicopters

  11th May 2015

  Russian Helicopters has delivered the first two repaired Ka-31 helicopters from Kumertau Aviation Production Enterprise to India, it announced on 6 May. Kumertau Aviation Production …

• Military Logistics

  Thales TopShield-400 selected for French A330 MRTT

  11th May 2015

  Thales has been awarded a contract to provide its TopShield-400 Controlled Reception Pattern Antenna (CRPA) system for the future French A330 tanker, the company announced …

• Naval Warfare

  Raytheon's SM-6 enters full-rate production

  11th May 2015

  Raytheon's Standard Missile-6 surface-to-air supersonic missile programme has moved from low-rate to full-rate production, the company has announced, with the first full-rate production round delivered …

• Defence Helicopter

  IDEF 2015: L-UMTAS preparing for delivery

  8th May 2015

  The Long-Range Anti-Tank Missile (L-UMTAS) from Roketsan is to be bought by the Turkish Army next year. At the IDEF exhibition in Istanbul, a spokesperson …

• Defence Helicopter

  Japanese Osprey buy moves a step closer

  7th May 2015

  The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified the US Congress on 5 May that it had cleared a sale of 17 Bell Boeing V-22B Osprey …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Indago UAS used for Cyclone Pam disaster relief

  7th May 2015

  Heliwest deployed Lockheed Martin's Indago UAS to conduct a rapid damage assessment in the aftermath of Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu, Lockheed Martin announced on 4 …

• Defence Helicopter

  Australia commissions first pair of CH-47F Chinooks

  6th May 2015

  The Australian Army commissioned its first pair of Boeing CH-47F Chinook helicopters at RAAF Base Townsville on 5 May. They will be operated by the …

• Defence Helicopter

  IDEF 2015: TAI position for Polish Kruk attack helicopter

  6th May 2015

  TAI has signed two MoUs with Polish defence companies at the IDEF exhibition as it builds up to compete for Poland’s attack helicopter programme – …

• Defence Helicopter

  UK Chinooks deploy in Nepal for relief operations

  5th May 2015

  The UK is sending 3 Royal Air Force (RAF) CH-47 Chinook aircraft to Nepal to assist in the British and Nepalese earthquake response, the government …

• Defence Helicopter

  First Bell 407GX delivered to Mexican Air Force

  1st May 2015

  The Mexican Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Mexicana - FAM) has received its first Bell Helicopter 407GX aircraft, a company spokesperson confirmed to Shephard. It is …

• Defence Helicopter

  Rheinmetall upgrades NH90 trainer for Germany

  29th April 2015

  Rheinmetall is currently upgrading the German armed forces' NH90 Cockpit Trainer with updated simulation technology, the company announced on 27 April. The company won the …

• Naval Warfare

  UK offers assets for Mediterranean rescue operations

  28th April 2015

  The UK government has offered to send the HMS Bulwark LPD amphibious ship and three Merlin helicopters to assist in migrant rescue operations in the …

• Defence Helicopter

  GAO questions US Army aviation restructure

  28th April 2015

  A new report scrutinising the cost estimates and assumptions behind the US Army’s controversial Aviation Restructure Initiative (ARI) has found them to be ‘substantially comprehensive’ …

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, Main battle 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-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 - 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 ...

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 ...

• 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 - 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 ...