• Air Warfare

  South Korea and Boeing to jointly research long-endurance aerial UAVs

  24th November 2023

  Boeing and South Korea have solidified plans that would see Boeing UAV design and technology capabilities implemented locally by South Korean companies.

• Land Warfare

  Poland to spend billions of dollars on K9 howitzers as it continues massive equipment refresh

  4th December 2023

  The deal between Poland and Hanwha has been valued at US$2.6 billion and is part of a larger agreement for 672 K9 howitzers and 288 Chunmoo MLRS.

• Defence Helicopter

  Industry awarded new contracts for Australian and US Apache attack helicopter work

  1st September 2023

  Longbow LLC and Lockheed Martin have received new contracts to supply Longbow fire control radars to Australia, and refurbish US Army Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (TADS/PNVS) equipment. Both systems equip the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter.

• Air Warfare

  US Army delivers FARA engines to Bell and Sikorsky

  24th October 2023

  In a significant development for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) programme, the first two T901 flight test engines have been delivered for the Bell 360 Invictus and Sikorsky Raider X Competitive Prototypes.

• Air Warfare

  Poland receives first two AW149 helicopters

  31st October 2023

  This acquisition was the result of a signed US$2 billion contract for 32 AW149 helicopters announced in mid-June 2022.

• Air Warfare

  US Army accepts first FARA helicopter engine prototype

  5th October 2023

  Sikorsky has planned to start the installation process of the GE T901 engine in advance of ground testing and eventual flight testing of its FARA prototype.

• Defence Helicopter

  US approves AH-64 Apache attack helicopters for Poland

  23rd August 2023

  Poland is poised to enhance its military might through acquiring AH-64 Apache attack helicopters from the US.

• Air Warfare

  Australia decides to expunge entire MRH90 helicopter fleet

  2nd October 2023

  Australia has decided to withdraw its MRH90 helicopter fleet, even though the aircraft had another 14 years of life left in them.

• Defence Helicopter

  Boeing to produce 21 more Apache helicopters for US Army and international customer

  24th July 2023

  Boeing has received a contract modification to produce an additional 21 AH-64E Apache helicopters for the US Army and an international customer, bringing the total to 205.

• Training

  British Army to receive fourth Apache crew trainer

  6th July 2023

  The new device will join the three other in-service trainers, allowing the British Army to train Apache operators to fly training sorties in pairs.

• Defence Helicopter

  Australia investing A$700 million in Townsville base to support new Apache helicopters

  3rd July 2023

  The Australian government is investing around A$700 million (US$466 million) into upgrading RAAF Base Townsville to support the new AH-64E Apache helicopters.

• Air Warfare

  Leonardo AW249 prototype performs tests in Spain

  8th August 2023

  The aircraft carrying out hot weather tests in Spain represents the second iteration of the AW249 NEES Fenice attack helicopter.

• Air Warfare

  Ukraine lessons: is bringing an attack helicopter to a missile fight too dangerous?

  15th September 2023

  According to multiple OSINT sources, Russian forces have lost possibly as many as 200 rotary-wing aircraft since February 2022. Some of these occurred in early high-profile operations, but most have been attrition casualties during the ongoing fighting. Shephard analyses the nature of these losses, and what lessons NATO attack helicopter operators should draw.

• Defence Helicopter

  Poland secretly sent Mi-24 attack helicopters to Ukraine, reports

  11th July 2023

  The Polish Mi-24 attack helicopters are now on their way to Ukraine, according to pictures shared on social media.

• Defence Helicopter

  Poland sets course for Black Hawk helicopter procurement

  25th July 2023

  Poland is on the path to bolster its military capabilities as it launches a procurement drive for Lockheed Martin S-70i Black Hawk helicopters.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E Apache [United Kingdom]

  According to the MoD, to further ‘guarantee value for money’ systems from the current Apache fleet such as the Modernised Target Acquisition & Designation System, ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E Apache-Follow-On [Morocco]

  Programme Background Morocco has placed a request with the US government for AH-64E Apache attack helicopters. On 20 November 2019, it was announced that the ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E Apache [Morocco]

  Morocco has placed a request with the US government for AH-64E Apache attack helicopters. On 20 November 2019, it was announced that the US State ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  Project Land 4503 [Australia]

  Programme Background The Australian Army has begun its search for a successor to the Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH), with an RfI issued by the ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  Kruk / AH-64E Apache [Poland]

  Programme Background In May 2019, Wojciech Skurkiewicz, the Polish deputy defence, released some details on the helicopter programme. Part of Poland's broader defence modernisation plan, the tender ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E Apache (Indian Air Force)

  Programme Background The Indian Army was originally granted co-ownership of the 22 Apaches by the Indian MoD. However, the IAF refused to cede them to ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  T129B [Philippines]

  Programme Background On 31 August 2019, it was announced that the Philippines National Defence Acquisition Decision Memorandum continues with the T-129 procurement. However, on 30 April ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E Apache (Indian Army)

  It is a hybrid procurement, as was the 2015 Air Force one (see separate entry), employing both a direct commercial sale with Boeing and an ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E Apache (South Korea)

  Programme Background Requirement The procurement decision is the result of the shift in South Korea's warfare concept focusing on the offensive manoeuvre rather than the ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E Apache [Israel]

  Programme Background IDF Ground Forces Command is urging the Israeli MoD to request the acquisition of up to 40 AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters from ...

• 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 - attack

  AH-64E - Kuwait

  Programme Background According to the US State Department, the proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping ...

• 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 helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M (Australia)

  Programme Background Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton said, 'The Black Hawk makes perfect sense, and they are much cheaper to fly than what the Taipans ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  Surion Marine Attack Helicopter (South Korea)

  Programme Background The ROKMC wants to obtain 24 attack helicopters for the first time. When bidding opened in January 2019, there were five contenders: Bell ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64D Apache Longbow

  The AH-64D Apache Longbow is an out-of-production attack helicopter that Boeing manufactured. Boeing delivered the first Apache Longbow in April 1997. From 2012, the Block III ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  Apache Longbow Training System

  The Longbow Crew Trainer is the centrepiece of Boeing’s AH-64 Apache training. Pilots and other personnel use the high-fidelity flight simulator to practice aircraft procedures ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  WAH-64 Apache

  The WAH-64/AH1 Apache is a variant of the Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow, developed and built by Leonardo from 1996 to meet British Army requirements. One ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  Collective Training

  Boeing has delivered and operates three USAF F-15C Mission Training Centers (MTCs), three F-15E MTCs and three F-16 MTCs. The F-22 platform was added into ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  CDAS

  The Common Defensive Aids System (CDAS) is an evolution of the HIDAS and BAKER integrated DAS solutions that protect a range of UK and export ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar, Air: helicopter radar

  AN/APG-78 Longbow

  The AN/APG-78 Longbow is a Ka-band, low-probability-of-intercept fire control radar equipping the Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow and AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters. According to the ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E Apache Guardian

  The AH-64E is the current configuration of Boeing's Apache attack helicopter. It is the backbone of the US Army attack helicopter fleet and is fielded by several ...

• Core systems: cameras and IR detectors

  Apache 1K

  The Apache 1K is a compact, low-power, integrated camera core designed for space-constrained airborne or ground applications. This commercially developed, military-qualified camera core is based ...

• Air: chaff, flare and decoy systems

  AGP

  The Aircraft Gateway Processor (AGP) is an aircraft survivability equipment (ASE) controller contained within a single flight-qualified line-replaceable unit. The AGP provides the ability to ...

• Air-to-air missiles

  Starstreak AAM

  The Starstreak AAM is a variant of the Thales hypervelocity SAM. The helicopter-fired ATASK (Air-To-Air Starstreak) was developed in combination with McDonnell-Douglas and Lockheed Martin between 1995 ...

• EO/IR systems

  M-DSA

  M-DSA is the next step in the sensor modernisation of the M-TADS/PNVS system. Upgraded capabilities support more rapid target identification and coordination, as well as ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - MLDS, Air: Defensive Systems - Laser Warning Receivers, Air: Electronic Attack - Pod, Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  AMASE

  Terma’s AMASE (Apache Modular Aircraft Survivability Equipment) was initially designed for the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) McDonnell Douglas/Boeing AH-64D Apache attack helicopters. The AMASE ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - Radar Warning Receivers

  SG200-D

  Leonardo's SG200-D RWR is a UK-specific product which is almost identical to the company's SEER RWR. SG200-D is self-protection equipment which detects and identifies emitters ...

• Data links

  TTNT

  The Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT) programme is intended to develop, evaluate and demonstrate reconfigurable, affordable, robust, interoperable and evolvable communications technologies to support emerging ...

• Helicopter guns

  M230 Automatic Cannon

  The M230 is a 30mm chain-driven autocannon originally developed by Hughes Helicopters and currently produced by Northrop Grumman. It serves as the main armament for ...