• Defence Helicopter

  Unmanned K-MAX makes first deliveries in Afghanistan

  4th January 2012

  Lockheed Martin's unmanned K-MAX aerial resupply system is now conducting routine operations in Afghanistan, it has been disclosed. The aircraft is being operated by a …

• Military Logistics

  RAAF receives fourth A330 MRTT

  3rd January 2012

  The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has taken delivery of the fourth A330 multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) aircraft following handover by Airbus Military in late …

• Defence Helicopter

  AS350 B2s delivered to the Ecuadorian Army

  23rd December 2011

  The Ecuadorian Army has taken delivery of the first two Ecureuil AS350 B2 helicopters of nine aircraft to be modernised by Eurocopter under a contract …

• Military Logistics

  New A400M development aircraft takes flight

  22nd December 2011

  The fifth Airbus Military A400M military airlifter has made its first flight, marking the end of a highly successful year for the programme. According to …

• Defence Helicopter

  Black Hawks arrive in Sweden

  21st December 2011

  The first two of 15 UH-60M Black Hawks ordered by the Swedish Armed Forces have been delivered just 18 months after the aircraft were ordered. …

• Defence Helicopter

  Northrop Grumman wins CH-53K contract

  21st December 2011

  Northrop Grumman has announced that it has been awarded a contract by the US Navy for work on the new CH-53K Super Stallion helicopter. According …

• Defence Helicopter

  NH90s delivered to Italian Armed Forces

  21st December 2011

  AgustaWestland has announced that a number of new NH90 aircraft have been delivered to the Italian Armed Forces, marking the successful completion of the first …

• Digital Battlespace

  Thales and Safran sign optronics MoU

  21st December 2011

  Thales and Safran have signed an optronics Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will see the two companies form an equally-owned joint venture for optronics (electrooptical) …

• Defence Helicopter

  Costa Rica seeking two helicopters

  20th December 2011

  The Costa Rican government has issued a request for information (RfI) through the US Department of the Army for a pair of rotary-wing training helicopters. …

• Defence Helicopter

  ADF MRH90 Helicopter deliveries recommence

  19th December 2011

  Australian Aerospace has announced the delivery of the 15th MRH90 (Multi-Role Helicopter) to the Australian Defence Force (ADF), following the signing of an agreement to …

• Defence Helicopter

  French Navy NH90 rescues 19 from stranded cargo ship

  19th December 2011

  Just days after entering operational service, a French Navy NH90 has rescued 19 crew off a beached cargo ship. The 109-metre long TK Bremen carrying …

• Defence Helicopter

  First multi-mission configured Bell 429 delivered

  16th December 2011

  Bell Helicopter has announced that it has delivered the first Bell 429 with a multi-mission configuration to Fairfax County, Virginia. According to Bell, this is …

• Defence Helicopter

  AW139 flight simulation training device certified

  16th December 2011

  Era Training Center (ETC) has announced that its first AW139 flight simulation training device (FSTD) has been FAA-certified as a Level 6 FSTD. According to …

• Defence Helicopter

  Australian Sea Kings make their final flight

  16th December 2011

  The Royal Australian Navy has retired its Sea King helicopters from operational service after 35 years. The last Sea King unit, 817 Squadron made its …

• Defence Helicopter

  Lynx AH Mk.9A programme nears completion

  16th December 2011

  AgustaWestland has held a ceremony to mark the completion of the Lynx Mk9A programme and the scheduled delivery of the 22nd and final Lynx AH …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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 - 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

  H145M [Ireland]

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

• 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 - 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 - light/training

  SW4 Puszczyk Replacement [Poland]

  Programme Background  In 2002, Poland order 47 SW4 training helicopters from Italian manufacturer Leonardo; as of Spring 2025, the Ministry of Defence is looking to ...

• 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 - light/training

  Future Aircrew Training Program (Helicopter Procurement) - Canada

  Programme 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 ...

• 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 - 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 ...

• 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]

  According to the media reports, Airbus couldn't provide a competitive offer for the programme due to the offset requirements.  The deliveries were to be completed ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-X [Japan]

  There is no mention of the AH-X in the 2019-2023 Medium Term Defence Plan, so it is possible that the requirement has quietly been postponed. ...

• Military helicopters - light/training, Military helicopters - multirole

  H135M [Spain]

  Programme Background Spain announced the National Helicopter Plan in May 2025 culminating in five contracts awarded to Airbus on 18 December 2025, including procurement programmes ...

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 ...