• Defence Helicopter

  Kuwait buys 30 H225M helicopters

  9th August 2016

  Kuwait has firmed up a commitment for 30 H225M Caracal medium helicopters, signing a €1 billion contract with France’s defence minister on 9 August. The …

• Military Logistics

  RAAF pushes MRTT’s envelope

  18th August 2016

  The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has expanded use of its Airbus KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT), carrying out its first boom refuelling of combat …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Heron crashes in Israel

  9th August 2016

  A Heron 1 has crashed over northern Israel during a test flight on 9 August, while Israeli media reported that a number of people on …

• Defence Notes

  Hopes for more Eurofighter orders

  1st August 2016

  Airbus Defence and Space is optimistic that more orders for the Eurofighter Typhoon will be placed by Middle Eastern countries. At a recent Airbus trade …

• Military Logistics

  A330 MRTTs for Netherlands, Luxembourg

  29th July 2016

  The Netherlands and Luxembourg governments have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the purchase of two Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft …

• Military Logistics

  India reverses course on MRTT

  27th July 2016

  In a flip-flop typical of Indian procurement activities, the country’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) cancelled its tender process for six A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Airbus to operate German Heron 1 UAS

  25th July 2016

  Airbus Defence and Space will operate Germany’s Heron 1 UAS in support of the German Army’s mission in Mali, the company announced on 21 July. …

• Defence Notes

  Airbus Defence and Space, Roketsan sign MoU

  18th July 2016

  Plans are underway to integrate a range of weapon systems on the C295W surveillance and transport aircraft as part of a new Memorandum of Understanding …

• Defence Helicopter

  Gearboxes ground South Korean Surions

  15th July 2016

  The fatal crash of an Airbus Helicopters H225 in Norway in April is having widespread effects on the far side of the world, with South …

• Defence Helicopter

  Mahindra to build AS565 MBe Panther parts

  14th July 2016

  Airbus Helicopters is positioning itself to target India’s Naval Utility Helicopter programme with the selection of Mahindra Aerostructures to manufacture airframe parts for the AS565 …

• Military Logistics

  Turkey to provide regional CN235 support

  15th July 2016

  Turkey’s CN235 fleet will be supported in-country following the authorization of the Turkish Air Force’s 2nd Air Supply and Maintenance Centre (2nd ASMC) in Kayseri …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Facebook reaches unmanned milestone

  22nd July 2016

  Social media giant Facebook has completed the first full-scale test flight of its high-altitude UAV, Aquila, the company announced on 21 July. The test flight …

• Digital Battlespace

  Farnborough 2016: Airbus provides UK F-35 crypto keys

  11th July 2016

  Airbus Defence and Space (DS) has added three aircraft to its portfolio of cryptographic key management systems, the UK F-35B, Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) …

• Military Logistics

  Airbus to continue UK WelComE

  8th July 2016

  Airbus Defence and Space has received a £15.7 million contract renewal from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) for the supply of core WelComE welfare …

• Defence Helicopter

  Thailand using H155 for mapping

  12th July 2016

  The Royal Thai Armed Forces acquired two new H155 rotorcraft from Airbus Helicopters for €32.6 million (US$36 million), these helicopters entering service late last year …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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 UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Loyal Wingman (Forecast) [Germany]

  Programme Background Need Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, stated in Jue 2024 that the "German Air Force has expressed a clear need for ...

• 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 UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

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

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

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Future Combat Air System (FCAS/SCAF) [France]

  Programme Background The governments of France and Germany have launched the demonstrator phase for the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) with the issue of an ...

• 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 UAS - fixed-wing

  Next-Generation Weapon System (NGWS) (FCAS) [France]

  Programme Background FCAS Project As noted by Airbus, the FCAS project is a tri-nation effort which will be centred around a core Next-Generation Weapon System ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Next-Generation Weapon System (NGWS) (FCAS) [Spain]

  Programme Background FCAS Project As noted by Airbus, the FCAS project is a tri-nation effort which will be centred around a core Next-Generation Weapon System ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  Strategic Tanker Transport [Canada]

  Programme Background This project will replace the existing fleet capability, including strategic airlift, air-to-air refuelling, Aeromedical Evacuations and Strategic Government of Canada transport. The Strategic ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  TH-73 Advanced Helicopter Training System - AHTS (TH-57 Replacement)

  Contenders for the competition included the Leonardo single engine TH-119 – a military variant of the AW119Kx – and Bell’s newly upgraded single engine 407GXi. ...

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

  Eurodrone [France]

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

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

  Eurodrone [Germany]

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

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

  Eurodrone (Forecast) [Czechia]

  Programme Background Eurodrone Programme For context, the European MALE RPAS, or Eurodrone, is a quad-nation effort from some of Europe's most prominent defence manufacturers to ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - multirole

  H175M

  The Airbus H175M is the military variant of the H175, a seven-tonne class aircraft powered by twin PT6C 67E engines. The civilian variants produced by 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 UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  UH-72 Logistics Connector (LC)

  The UH-72 Logistics Connector (LC) is an uncrewed version of Airbus' UH-72B crewed helicopter, a derivative of the H145.  In mid-May 2024, Airbus announced that the UH-72B had ...

• 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, ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

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

  Flexrotor

  Flexrotor is a VTOL small tactical UAS manufactured by Aerovel. In a typical operational configuration, it has been designed for ISTAR missions for more than ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  Captor-E Radar

  Captor-E is a multi-mode AESA pulse-Doppler radar upgrade to the Captor-M, designed for the Eurofighter Typhoon. Captor-E is being developed under a Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH ...

• 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 ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Bo 105

  The Bo 105 is a twin-engine, multipurpose, light helicopter that was developed in 1963-68. Approximately 37% of the more than 1,400 aircraft built before production ...

• Air: transport/tanker simulators

  Cargo Hold Trainer - Enhanced

  Rheinmetall provides technology in rear crew training aids for air transport platforms. This includes the Load Master Work Station Trainer (LMWST) and Cargo Hold Trainer ...