• Defence Helicopter

  US Army achieves IOC with AH-64E Apache Guardian

  28th November 2013

  The US Army’s AH-64E Apache ‘Guardian’ attack helicopters have achieved initial operating capability (IOC), the service announced on 27 November. In a statement, the army …

• Defence Helicopter

  Ardiden 3C/WZ16 engine has successful first run

  28th November 2013

  The Turbomeca- and AVIC Engine-developed Ardiden 3C helicopter engine has completed its first run at the Turbomeca Bordes plant in France. According to the companies …

• Defence Helicopter

  USAF set to award combat rescue helicopter contract

  27th November 2013

  Pending budget approval, the US Air Force (USAF) is set to award Sikorsky a contract for its Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH) programme, it has been …

• Defence Notes

  Scottish defence force plans unveiled

  26th November 2013

  The Scottish government has published its independence ‘White Paper’, describing a 10-year introduction plan for a proposed defence force. Unveiled on 25 November by Scottish first …

• Defence Helicopter

  RAF commences training operations with Puma Mk2

  26th November 2013

  The Royal Air Force has begun training on the newly upgraded Puma Mk2 helicopters from RAF Benson in Oxford. Seven of the 24 aircraft being …

• Digital Battlespace

  ViaSat STT selected for RAN DA20 Falcon aircraft

  22nd November 2013

  ViaSat will supply its Small Tactical Terminal (STT) KOR-24 for installation on the DA20 Falcon series of aircraft used by the Royal Navy under a …

• Defence Helicopter

  AgustaWestland bets on dual-use helicopters

  21st November 2013

  AgustaWestland hopes its dual-use family of helicopters concept will allow it to successfully capitalise on a growing commercial sector and offset a shrinking military market, …

• Defence Helicopter

  Dubai 2013: Australia set to receive first MH-60R

  20th November 2013

  The first two Australian MH-60R helicopters will be formally delivered on 10 December as the AUS$3 billion project to replace the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN’s) …

• Defence Helicopter

  Dubai 2013: Swiss Kopter unveils Skyrider trainer

  19th November 2013

  Dubai saw the air show debut of a new two-seater light helicopter, which the manufacturer is aiming squarely at the training market as a competitor …

• Defence Helicopter

  Dubai 2013: Talon production moves to UAE

  19th November 2013

  Raytheon will move the Talon laser guided rocket into production in the UAE under a partnering agreement with Tawazun announced at the Dubai Air Show. …

• Defence Helicopter

  Dubai 2013: Middle East offers opportunities for growth

  18th November 2013

  Strong purchasing power in the Middle East is driving companies to increase their footprint in the region as they  look to boost international sales in …

• Defence Helicopter

  Dubai 2013: Boeing finally receives AH-6i contract

  18th November 2013

  Boeing has secured a production contract for 24 AH-6i light attack helicopters understood to be for Saudi Arabia. Speaking at the Dubai Air Show, Boeing’s …

• Defence Helicopter

  Dubai 2013: MD plans second-generation 530F

  18th November 2013

  MD Helicopters is moving ahead with a major redesign of its MD530F armed helicopter as it targets further parapublic opportunities around the world. Speaking to …

• Defence Helicopter

  Boeing delivers first upgraded Apache to the Netherlands

  15th November 2013

  The first Dutch AH-64D Apache upgraded to Block II standard was accepted by the Dutch Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) at Mesa, Arizona on 14 November. …

• Defence Helicopter

  AgustaWestland receives approval for India joint venture

  13th November 2013

  Despite bribery allegations lingering over the contract to supply 12 AW101 VVIP helicopters to the Indian Air Force, AgustaWestland has been cleared to establish assembly …

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 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 - scout/light attack

  MD-530G [Lebanon]

  Background Order context The Lebanese MD-530 order was placed during a visit of US Central Command Commander General Joseph Votel in December 2017.  MD 530F ...

• Hybrid effector systems

  US Air Force Air Base Defence Missile Defence [US]

  Background The US Air Force's (USAF) Air Base Air Defence Missile Defence (ABAD MD) programme is part of the Air Force Physical Security System and sits ...

• 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]

  Background Global Hawk Early in the development of the Global Hawk, the German MoD also expressed interest in procuring the aircraft as a replacement for ...

• 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 - multirole

  Multirole Helicopters [Poland]

  Programme Background In 2020, Poland announced the launch of the Perkoz programme to acquire 32 support helicopters to replace its fleet of Mi-2 aircraft stationed ...

• 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 - transport/heavy lift

  H225M [France]

  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 Puma ...

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 ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  MD 500

  US-based MD Helicopters' 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 ...

• 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 - 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  MD-1366 EBEM

  The US government selected the MD-1366 Enhanced Bandwidth Efficient Modem (EBEM) from ViaSat to set the DoD standard for high-speed, high-performance,flexibility and compatibility in a ...

• EO/IR systems

  Wescam MX-10

  The Wescam MX-10 EO/IR low-weight imaging system is designed for low-altitude tactical surveillance and reconnaissance missions from crewed and uncrewed aircraft. The MX-10 has had a close ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Night Intruder 600 Vertical Take-Off (NI-600VT)

  The Night Intruder 600 Vertical Take-Off (NI-600VT) is an in-development UAV from Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) based on an MD 500 twin-seat American commercial helicopter airframe. With the ...