• Defence Helicopter

  Leonardo files another lawsuit to halt US Army Lakota buy

  31st January 2018

  Airbus Helicopters is warning the Pentagon that its acquisition process is under attack by Italian defence company Leonardo.  The warning came after Leonardo filed another lawsuit …

• Defence Helicopter

  Islamabad to modernise its army's fleet

  9th February 2018

  The Pakistan Army is soon to induct a small number of Russian Helicopters Mi-35Ms in the assault role and is in the process  of modernising …

• Defence Helicopter

  AW609 in place for takeoff with UAE JAC

  7th February 2018

  The first military examples of the Leonardo AW609 tiltrotor are on course for delivery in 2019, Brig Gen Saeed Ali Al Ali, deputy cdr of …

• Defence Helicopter

  Ecuadorian MoD receives first H125

  31st January 2018

  Airbus Helicopters has delivered the first H125 helicopter to the Ecuadorian Ministry of Defense, the company announced on 26 January.The company signed a contract in …

• Naval Warfare

  FAB orders additional C295s

  24th January 2018

  The the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) has placed an order with Airbus Defence and Space for three Airbus C295 maritime search and rescue (SAR) aircraft, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Singapore Airshow 2018: Region moves on civil UAS regulation

  7th February 2018

  Countries in the Asia-Pacific region are moving ahead with alternations and additions to existing regulatory practices governing the civil and commercial use of unmanned systems, …

• Military Logistics

  Singapore Airshow 2018: India leads regional charge for aerial tankers

  29th January 2018

  Several countries in the Asia-Pacific region are acquiring, or considering the purchase of, air-to-air refuellers, with India releasing an RfI worth more than $2 billion …

• Digital Battlespace

  France awards Symphonie contract to Airbus

  23rd January 2018

  Airbus has received the Symphonie contract from the French joint services directorate for defence infrastructure networks and information systems for a period of seven years, …

• Defence Notes

  Airbus fined $127 million over Taiwan missile dispute

  15th January 2018

  Airbus announced on 13 January that it had been fined $127 million for a dispute dating from 1992 over missile sales to Taiwan by the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Airbus, Naval Group collaborate on RUAV project

  17th January 2018

  Airbus Helicopters and Naval Group have been contracted by the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) to develop technologies for the integration of a rotary-wing UAV …

• Defence Notes

  Leonardo outlook sends shares into tailspin

  30th January 2018

  Shares in Italy's Leonardo, one of world's top ten defence companies, went into free fall on 30 January after the company presented a recovery plan …

• Military Logistics

  Airbus delivers 15th A400M to Germany

  18th January 2018

  Airbus Defence and Space has delivered the 15th A400M multi-role military transporter aircraft to the German Air Force, the company announced on 15 January. Germany …

• Defence Helicopter

  Indonesia receives five military helicopters

  17th January 2018

  Indonesia’s military received five helicopters – two Airbus Helicopters AS565 MBe Panthers and three armed H125M Fennecs – plus a CN-235-220 aircraft from PT Dirgantara …

• Defence Helicopter

  Singapore Airshow 2018: Subaru opens UH-X maintenance facility

  29th January 2018

  The Subaru Corporation (formerly Fuji Heavy Industries) announced the completion of an aviation MRO facility at its Utsunomiya plant on 18 January. Its floor area …

• Defence Helicopter

  US Army bullish about Lakota order

  15th January 2018

  The US Army wasted little time taking the next step in buying 35 new UH-72 Lakota aircraft from Airbus Helicopters last week, and says it …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | A-400M [United Arab Emirates]

  At IDEX 2025, two representatives from Airbus discussed the details behind a potential bid from the United Arab Emirates for the A-400M aircraft. The A-400M ...

• Data links

  Data links | A-400M [United Arab Emirates]

  At IDEX 2025, two representatives from Airbus discussed the details behind a potential bid from the United Arab Emirates for the A-400M aircraft. The A-400M ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | A-400M [United Arab Emirates]

  At IDEX 2025, two representatives from Airbus discussed the details behind a potential bid from the United Arab Emirates for the A-400M aircraft. The A-400M ...

• 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, ...

• Transport

  A-400M [United Arab Emirates]

  Programme Background At IDEX 2025, two Airbus representatives shared insights into a possible offer from the United Arab Emirates for the A-400M aircraft. The A-400M ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Sistema RPAS Táctico de Altas Prestaciones (SiRTAP) [Spain]

  Background MoU In 2017, it was announced that Spain was jointly developing a MALE UAV with Colombia to meet the ISR requirement of both armed ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  A330 MRTT Follow-On [NATO]

  Programme Background Following operations in Libya and extensive analyses by the European Defence Agency (EDA), it was agreed at the NATO Summit in 2012 that ...

• Transport

  A400M (Kazakhstan)

  Programme Background In September 2021, it was announced that Kazakhstan ordered two Airbus A400M aircraft. According to Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, ‘The A400M ...

• 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 ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  A330 MRTT [Singapore]

  In February 2020, Airbus and the Singapore government announced an agreement to collaborate on the development of an A330 Smart Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT). One Singaporean ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | C295 MPAs [India]

  In February 2024, India's Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) cleared the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) to purchase 15 maritime patrol aircraft for about $3.5 billion. The Indian ...

• Data links

  Data links | C295 MPAs [India]

  In February 2024, India's Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) cleared the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) to purchase 15 maritime patrol aircraft for about $3.5 billion. The Indian ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | C295 MPAs [India]

  In February 2024, India's Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) cleared the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) to purchase 15 maritime patrol aircraft for about $3.5 billion. The Indian ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | C295 MPAs [India]

  In February 2024, India's Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) cleared the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) to purchase 15 maritime patrol aircraft for about $3.5 billion. The Indian ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Eurodrone [Spain]

  Programme Background Inception (Stage One) The European MALE RPAS programme was launched in September 2016. Germany, Spain, France, and Italy negotiated and agreed, in collaboration ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - MALE, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  MQ-72C Lakota Connector

  The MQ-72C Lakota Connector is an uncrewed version of Airbus' UH-72B, primarily designed to provide contested logistics in austere expeditionary environments. Airbus has partnered with L3Harris, Shield AI, ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Flexrotor

  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 customers’ ...

• 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 ...

• Major networking projects

  Skynet 6 SATCOM

  Skynet 6 is designed to replace Skynet 5. The PFI contract for Skynet 5,  held by Paradigm Secure Communications and Airbus DS, ends in 2022. As ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Airbus Multi-Mission and Transport UAS

  The Airbus Multi-Mission and Transport UAV, or cargo copter, is a rotary-wing cargo-carrying platform that Airbus is developing. The platform has yet to be formally named. The ...

• 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 UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Wingman

  The Wingman is an Airbus concept drone unveiled at ILA Berlin in June 2024. The loyal wingman-type fixed-wing UAV is designed to accompany crewed fighters, ...

• Transport

  C295

  The C295 is the largest member of Airbus Defence and Space’s family of medium tactical airlifters and surveillance aircraft. It is a development of the ...

• 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 ...

• 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. ...

• 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 ...

• Air: transport/tanker simulators

  A400M Training

  Thales is the principal training provider for the Airbus A400M with a contract to provide FFSs and flat-panel trainers. Four A400M FFS and two flat-panel ...

• 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 ...

• Transport

  A400M Atlas

  Developed to meet European military airlift requirements, the A400M Atlas combines tactical and strategic/logistic mission capabilities. The platform's cargo hold is designed to carry outsize ...

• 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 ...