• Defence Helicopter

  Singapore to replace US-based Chinooks

  7th April 2016

  Singapore will replace the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s (RSAF) fleet of six Boeing CH-47D Chinook helicopters. The replacement will only affect the Peace Prairie …

• Defence Helicopter

  Vikhr-1 ATGMs for the Russian Ka-52 fleet

  6th April 2016

  The Kalashnikov Concern reported on 5 April 2016 that it had finalised the delayed contract for the delivery of Vikhr-1 anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) to …

• Defence Helicopter

  AVX remains in the FVL race

  5th April 2016

  Following successful wind-tunnel testing of its coaxial, compound design, AVX remains bullish about its involvement in the US Army’s Future Vertical Lift (FVL) programme. The …

• Defence Helicopter

  Four Mi-171Shs delivered to Angola

  5th April 2016

  In the second half of March this year, the Angolan Air Force took on strength four Mi-171Sh assault transport helicopters. Produced at the Ulan-Ude Aviation …

• Military Logistics

  Japan’s C-2 aircraft enters service

  5th April 2016

  The Japanese Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF) announced in March that its new Kawasaki Heavy Industries C-2 cargo aircraft had entered service. The JASDF planned the …

• Digital Battlespace

  DefExpo 2016: OIS-AT promotes four radars

  4th April 2016

  OIS Advanced Technology (OIS-AT), a private Indian company, showed four new radar types at DefExpo 2016 in Goa. In a briefing with Shephard, Sanjay Bhandari, …

• Defence Helicopter

  AAR commences Falkland SAR operations

  4th April 2016

  AAR’s Airlift division has commenced search and rescue (SAR) and support helicopter (SH) operations for the UK Ministry of Defence in the Falkland Islands, the …

• Digital Battlespace

  DIMDEX 2016: Qatar orders satellite data receiving station

  3rd April 2016

  Airbus Defence and Space has received a contract from the Qatar Armed Forces (QAF) to provide a multi-mission direct satellite data receiving station and image …

• Defence Helicopter

  FIDAE 2016: Hard landing for Airbus in Latin America

  1st April 2016

  The tough economic conditions in Latin American has impacted all the main rotary-wing OEMs, not least Airbus Helicopters and its Brazilian subsidiary Helibras, which saw …

• Defence Helicopter

  FIDAE 2016: Peru’s billion dollar shopping spree

  1st April 2016

  The Peruvian Air Force has set out ambitious plans to modernise its air force over the next five years with one of the main aims …

• Defence Helicopter

  DefExpo 2016: HAL LUH to fly soon

  1st April 2016

  A new helicopter emerging from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s (HAL) hangar is the Light Utility Helicopter (LUH), and it is expected to perform its maiden flight …

• Digital Battlespace

  Senses heightened for Apache

  1st April 2016

  The US Army’s AH-64 Apache helicopters are to get the new sensors that will provide them with new capabilities. It has finally been decided that …

• Defence Helicopter

  Colombian Air Force gets seventh Huey II Kit

  1st April 2016

  Bell Helicopter has delivered the seventh Huey II Kit to the Colombian Air Force (COLAF), it was announced on 30 March. The delivery of the …

• Land Warfare

  DefExpo 2016: Indian air defence still up in the air

  1st April 2016

  The Indian Army currently has several air defence programmes on the go. These include antiaircraft artillery, very short-range air defence systems (VSHORADS), which are outlined …

• Defence Helicopter

  Sener delivers second AB212 to Spain

  1st April 2016

  Sener has delivered the second Agusta Bell helicopter 212 (AB212) to the Spanish Ministry of Defense’s Directorate General of Armament and Material, it announced on …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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 - 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

  H145M [Ireland]

  Programme Background On 30 December 2024 Ireland announced a contract with Airbus for four new H145M helicopters to replace the Air Corps existing fleet of ...

• Military helicopters - attack, Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  H225M / H145M Add-On [Romania]

  Methodology As part of a potential initial order for 12 H225M helicopters, Romania has included the option to acquire 30 additional helicopters from Airbus. Shephard estimates this ...

• 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 - maritime

  Maritime Operations Helicopters

  The three maritime operations helicopters will be used for logistics and personnel transport, alongside transportation of PASKAL naval special forces in operations in the area. ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  SW4 Puszczyk Replacement [Poland]

  Programme Background  In 2002, Poland order 47 SW4 training helicopters from Italian manufacturer Leonardo; as of Spring 2025, the Ministry of Defence is looking to ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  NH-90 [Spain]

  Programme Background Along with a range of other air programmes, the Spanish Government announced the nation has set aside 1 billion euros (USD$1.162 billion) to ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  Future Aircrew Training Program (Helicopter Procurement) - Canada

  Programme Background The FAcT requires to graduate 120 pilots, 40 combat systems officers and 36 airborne electronic sensor operators per year with 15% fluctuation. Training services ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  Bell 412EPI-Indonesia

  Programme Background PTDI is assembling Bell helicopters in its factory in Bandung.  The first Bell 412EPI was delivered to Indonesian Army on 29 December 2020 ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  Spain HT-29 Caiman (NH90 TTH) - Army First Batch

  HT-29 Caiman GSPAs (NH90 TTH) will be assembled at Airbus Helicopters’ facility in Albacete and will replace AS332 Super Puma fleet in service. Even though ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  TH-73 Advanced Helicopter Training System (AHTS) (TH-57 Replacement)

  Programme Background Contenders for the competition included the Leonardo single engine TH-119 – a military variant of the AW119Kx – and Bell’s newly upgraded single ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  AW101 [Poland]

  According to the media reports, Airbus couldn't provide a competitive offer for the programme due to the offset requirements.  The deliveries were to be completed ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-X [Japan]

  There is no mention of the AH-X in the 2019-2023 Medium Term Defence Plan, so it is possible that the requirement has quietly been postponed. ...

• Military helicopters - light/training, Military helicopters - multirole

  H135M [Spain]

  Programme Background Spain announced the National Helicopter Plan in May 2025 culminating in five contracts awarded to Airbus on 18 December 2025, including procurement programmes ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - light/training

  H145

  The light, twin-engine EC145 began as an initiative to increase the cabin size of the BK 117 C1 aircraft, involving Kawasaki of Japan and Airbus ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  H225M

  The medium-weight, 11t-class H225M (formerly known as the EC725) is the latest military Super Puma/Cougar family member.  Technical features include a modular design of mechanical ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  H145M

  The H145M (formerly known as the EC645 T2) is the military version of the H145 medium-sized (3.7t) helicopter (covered in a separate entry). It is ...

• Military helicopters - light/training, Military helicopters - multirole

  H135M

  The H135M (formerly known as the EC635 and also designated as H135) is a light utility variant of the EC135 twin-engine, multipurpose 3t helicopter. In ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  H215M

  The H215M (formerly the AS532 ALe) is the most recent addition to the Cougar family.  It is a medium-weight (9t-class), twin-engine helicopter, combining the AS532's ...

• Air: mission management systems

  Helionix

  The Helionix digital avionics suite was developed from the need for a more powerful avionics system with greater functions and computing capacity, alongside a user-friendly interface. ...

• Helicopter engines

  Arriel 2+/2D

  Unveiled in 2011, the Arriel 2+ is an upgrade of the Arriel 2 and is intended for single- and twin-engine helicopters. It incorporates a new ...

• Helicopter engines

  LTS101

  The LTS101 was first certified in 1975. Since then, over 2,100 engines have been delivered to customers worldwide, logging over 11 million service hours. The ...

• EO/IR systems

  Viviane

  Viviane is an out-of-production gyro-stabilised night and adverse weather observation system with missile sight.  Manufactured by Safran, it was fitted to French Army Gazelles. It contained a ...

• Air: mission management systems

  APM 2000

  The current generation of autopilots is the APM 2000 family, fitted on major worldwide platforms. The APM 2000 is based on an integrated digital computer. ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  H175M

  The Airbus H175M is the military variant of the H175 and works to fill a gap in the H175 helicopter family, as well as offer ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  Light Armed Helicopter

  The South Korean government selected Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) in July 2014 to develop the Light Armed Helicopter (LAH) and the related Light Civil Helicopter ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  AS365 N3+ Dauphin

  The AS365 N3+, manufactured by Airbus Helicopters (formerly Eurocopter), was developed from the Dauphin series of medium, twin-turboshaft rotorcraft. The AS365 N3+ was launched at the 2009 ...

• Military UAS - small

  Flexrotor

  Flexrotor, or U030 Flexrotor, is a VTOL small UAS manufactured by Aerovel. It can integrate different types of payloads, including electro-optical systems and advanced sensors, to suit ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  NH90 TTH

  Developed as a multinational programme between France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, the European NH90 was designed to meet NATO requirements for multirole capability from ...