• Defence Notes

  SGA14: Experts warn of dangerous ambiguity in US Asian pivot

  10th February 2014

  The Obama Administration’s strategic pivot to the Asia-Pacific region is sending an ambiguous message about US military and strategic intentions in Asia, regional experts have …

• Defence Helicopter

  SGA14: Bell looks to increase footprint in Asia

  8th February 2014

  Bell Helicopter is set to showcase its range of aircraft at the Singapore Air Show, as the company looks to draw new custom and capitalise …

• Defence Helicopter

  Aurora awarded DARPA VTOL X-Plane contract

  7th February 2014

  Aurora Flight Sciences has confirmed that it will build its LightningStrike Vertical Takeoff and Landing aircraft for DARPA’s VTOL X-Plane programme. The company has been …

• Defence Helicopter

  Second RAN LHD hull arrives in Australia

  7th February 2014

  Construction of the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN’s) second Canberra Class Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) is making progress, with the hull arriving at Web Dock in …

• Defence Helicopter

  Lockheed Martin wins UK Apache M-TADS/PNVS work

  6th February 2014

  Lockheed Martin will sustain and support the Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (M-TADS/PNVS) system on the UK’s Apache AH Mk-1 fleet until …

• Military Logistics

  Iraq requests US Air Traffic Control equipment

  5th February 2014

  The government of Iraq has requested air traffic control and landing systems and associated equipment from the US government in a possible $700 million Foreign …

• Defence Helicopter

  SGA14: Rockwell Collins eyes Asia-Pacific growth

  5th February 2014

  Rockwell Collins is looking to accelerate growth of its business by focusing on opportunities in the promising Asian Pacific market through a number of key …

• Naval Warfare

  SGA14: Selex prepares for Singapore MPA

  5th February 2014

  As industry awaits the anticipated release of an RfP for Singapore’s future maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) requirement, Selex ES is ready to respond to it …

• Defence Helicopter

  UK MoD accelerates Crowsnest airborne warning programme

  3rd February 2014

  The Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers being built for the Royal Navy will have operational Crowsnest early warning systems by 2019 following the renegotiation of …

• Defence Helicopter

  Exelis receives US Army helicopter radio order

  3rd February 2014

  The US Army has ordered the Exelis ARC-201D radios for installation in its UH-60M Blackhawk and CH-47F Chinook helicopters. The $10.9 million contract was issued …

• Defence Helicopter

  HeliVert to produce commercial AW139 helicopters

  31st January 2014

  Russian Helicopters and AgustaWestland joint venture, HeliVert, has been given the go-ahead to produce the AW139 commercial helicopter. The Register of the Interstate Aviation Committee …

• Defence Helicopter

  Saab wins US Army low-altitude air surveillance contract

  31st January 2014

  The US Army has chosen Saab to install a low-altitude air surveillance system, designed to prevent mid-air collisions during tactical aviation training, on one of …

• Defence Helicopter

  Iraq requests AH-64E Apache helicopter FMS

  29th January 2014

  The US government will consider a request from Iraq to purchase 24 AH-64E Apache Longbow attack helicopters at an estimated cost of $4.8 billion. The …

• Defence Helicopter

  Lockheed Martin achieves laser development milestone

  29th January 2014

  The 30-kilowatt electric fibre laser under development by Lockheed Martin has been successfully demonstrated by the company, marking a significant milestone on the path to …

• Defence Helicopter

  AgustaWestland wins £760 million in UK contracts

  29th January 2014

  AgustaWestland has won two contracts from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) worth an estimated £760 million, it was announced on 29 January. The first …

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 ...