• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Firefighting mission goes unmanned

  22nd January 2015

  The US Department of the Interior (DOI) is about to get into the optionally piloted helicopter game, and is planning a demonstration of potential candidates …

• Defence Helicopter

  Netherlands resumes deliveries of NH90

  22nd January 2015

  The Netherlands resumed acceptance of the NH90 NATO Frigate Helicopter (NFH) in December, as the ‘action plan’ developed by NHIndustries to resolve corrosion issues seems …

• Digital Battlespace

  Airbus wins Tetra communication system contract

  22nd January 2015

  Airbus Defence and Space has won a contract from the Ministry of Interior of Lebanon for a Terrestrial Trunked Radio (Tetra) communication system for the …

• Defence Helicopter

  Netherlands retires AB-412 helicopters

  21st January 2015

  As of 1 January, the Netherlands' Ministry of Defence has taken its characteristic yellow AB-412 search and rescue (SAR) helicopters out of service. These helicopters, …

• Defence Helicopter

  Elbit receives new DIRCM systems order

  20th January 2015

  Elbit Systems has won a contract from an Asian army to provide the mini Music IR MWS based DIRCM systems for the customer's Black Hawk …

• Defence Helicopter

  Slovakia leans towards Black Hawks

  19th January 2015

  The door may be closing on European helicopter manufacturers in Slovakia, with the country’s defence minister revealing the Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk transport helicopter is …

• Naval Warfare

  How naval technology aided AirAsia airliner search in Indonesia

  19th January 2015

  Naval assets and technology proved instrumental in locating the wreckage of AirAsia flight QZ8501, which crashed into the Java Sea with 162 passengers and crew …

• Defence Helicopter

  Philippine military receives more AW109s

  16th January 2015

  The Philippine Navy (PN) and Air Force (PAF) have had their helicopter capability bolstered with the delivery of four disassembled AgustaWestland AW109 Power helicopters to …

• Military Logistics

  First French Atlas A400 begins maintenance

  16th January 2015

  On 12 January, one of the French Air Force’s Atlas A400M began its first maintenance visit at the Atelier Industriel de l’Aéronautique (AIA) aviation workshop …

• Defence Notes

  UK's fairy land equipment budget

  14th January 2015

  The UK Ministry of Defence’s equipment budget is based on a dream world of accounting where they think their reduced cost forecasts will be met. …

• Defence Helicopter

  Canada receives Chinook maintenance trainer

  14th January 2015

  The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) has received a maintenance training system for its CH-147F Chinook helicopter from Boeing, the company said on 12 January. …

• Land Warfare

  MEADS named as candidate for Germany, Poland

  9th January 2015

  According to a 7 January Lockheed Martin press release, the Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) has been named a candidate in Germany and Poland. …

• Defence Helicopter

  Z-18A undergoes high-altitude testing

  8th January 2015

  Pictures of the new Z-18A troop-carrying helicopter undergoing high-altitude testing have emerged on the Chinese internet as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) looks for a …

• Naval Warfare

  Indian Navy selects OTO Melara 127/64 LW guns

  8th January 2015

  INDIA has selected OTO Melara's 127/64 LW Vulcano gun system to arm 13 Indian Navy (IN) frigates and destroyers.  The deal for the 127mm guns …

• Defence Helicopter

  Russia accelerates rotorcraft fleet renewal

  6th January 2015

  Around 135 new helicopters were delivered to the Russian military in 2014, as the country continues a wide-ranging modernisation of its rotorcraft fleet. The majority …

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]

  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 ...

• 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 - multirole

  H135 [UK]

  Programme Background Airbus Helicopters UK announced on 2 February 2022 that it has won an order to provide five additional H135 twin-engine helicopters for the ...

• 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 - multirole

  H145M [Ireland]

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

• Military helicopters - light/training

  Future Aircrew Training Program [Canada]

  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 are ...

• 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 - 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 - 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]

  Bids and suppliers Airbus Helicopters Though not involved in the final bid stage, Airbus Helicopters had originally put the H225M forward to meet the Polish ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  AW169M [North Macedonia]

  Background Bids and suppliers Prior to Leonardo's award of the North Macedonian contract, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, and Bell Helicopters had all put bids in for ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  AW149 [North Macedonia]

  Background Bids and suppliers Prior to Leonardo's award of the North Macedonian contract, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, and Bell Helicopters had all put bids in for ...

• 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 ...

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 ...