• Land Warfare

  Saab begins Giraffe 4A radar production

  28th October 2014

  Saab has commenced production of the first Giraffe 4A radar following completion of a series of operationally-focussed, deployed field tests of the system to demonstrate …

• Military Logistics

  Airbus submits C295 bid to Indian Air Force

  28th October 2014

  Airbus Defence and Space (D&S) and Tata Advanced Systems have teamed for the Indian Air Force’s (IAF’s) Avro aircraft replacement programme, with the companies submitting …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  UAV Solutions introduces Dragon View sensors

  27th October 2014

  UAV Solutions has developed a new line of sensors for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) called Dragon View, the company announced on 24 October. The sensors, …

• Defence Helicopter

  Boeing/Thales win Australian HATS programme

  24th October 2014

  Australia has named a Boeing/Thales partnership as the winning tender for a new joint-service helicopter training system for its defence force worth $700 million. In …

• Defence Helicopter

  LCR-350 AHRS selected for Airbus Helicopters platforms

  22nd October 2014

  Northrop Grumman will supply its Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS) for a number of Airbus Helicopters helicopter platforms under an agreement announced on 21 …

• Defence Helicopter

  CAE to support NZDF SH-2G(I) Super Seasprite training devices

  21st October 2014

  CAE will support the New Zealand Defence Force’s (NZDF’s) SH-2G(I) Super Seasprite helicopter synthetic training devices under a new contract announced on 21 October. The …

• Defence Helicopter

  Concerns mount over Indian UAV developments

  17th October 2014

  Efforts to speed up development of the Rustom-2 MALE UAV appear to have stalled with neither confirmation on when production will begin nor delivery to the Indian Army, …

• Defence Helicopter

  Helitech 2014: BAE Systems targets civil customers for HUD/HMD

  16th October 2014

  BAE Systems has used Helitech International to drum up civil interest in its head-up display (HUD) and helmet-mounted display (HMD) systems. The company’s HUD and …

• Defence Helicopter

  Erickson US Navy MSC support extended

  16th October 2014

  Erickson Incorporated will continue its support of the US Navy’s Military Sealift Command (MSC) under a contract extension announced on 15 October. The extension will …

• Defence Helicopter

  AUSA 2014: Round Up

  15th October 2014

  Shephard's Land & Support Editor, Tim Fish, rounds up the AUSA exhibition in Washington, DC.

• Defence Helicopter

  AUSA 2014: Apache E exceed op readiness levels

  14th October 2014

  The performance of the Apache AH-64E model has exceeded expectations on operations in Afghanistan. Speaking at the AUSA Annual exhibition in Washington DC Colonel Jeff …

• Defence Helicopter

  FN Herstal expands airborne pintle mounted systems portfolio

  14th October 2014

  The Dillon Aero M134D Gatling Gun will be offered by FN Herstal as an additional option to its airborne pintle mounted systems under a teaming …

• Defence Helicopter

  AUSA 2014: Sikorsky details US Army Raider bid (Video)

  14th October 2014

  Speaking to Shephard at the AUSA exhibition, executives at Sikorsky decribed moves to secure US Army rotary wing programmes for its Raider platform.

• Defence Helicopter

  Lockheed Martin to produce M-TADS/PNVS for Qatar

  14th October 2014

  Lockheed Martin will supply Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (M-TADS/PNVS) for the Qatar Emiri Air Force’s Apache helicopter fleet. The company was …

• Military Logistics

  German A400M airlifter begins taxi trials

  14th October 2014

  The first A400M airlifter for the German Air Force is progressing toward delivery, with taxiing trials commencing at the Airbus Defence and Space facility in …

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 in bids 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 ...