• Defence Notes

  Suspension of investment plan could hit Slovenian procurement

  26th January 2021

  Temporary suspension of a €780 million scheme to improve and modernise the armed forces may affect and delay Slovenian long-term procurement programmes.

• Defence Notes

  IDEX 2021: Spotlight shines on procurement programmes

  22nd February 2021

  Data and case studies from the Shephard Defence Insight team illustrate the state of play in Middle Eastern defence procurement.

• Digital Battlespace

  Space Development Agency confirms Tracking Layer providers

  8th January 2021

  ​SpaceX and L3Harris to develop satellites for system to provide global indications, warning, tracking, and targeting of advanced missile threats, including hypersonic missile systems.

• Air Warfare

  Sri Lanka sends aircraft around the world for overhauls

  21st January 2021

  Unable to afford new aircraft, Sri Lanka is overhauling and refurbishing aircraft and helicopters in disparate locations around the world.

• Digital Battlespace

  Egypt requests LAIRCM system from US

  5th January 2021

  Northrop Grumman will provide AN/AAQ-24(V) if FMS deal is approved.

• Defence Helicopter

  Rolls-Royce to make more Osprey engines

  1st February 2021

  Engine manufacturer receives order for 33 additional AE1107C engines for the V-22 and MV-22 Osprey.

• Defence Helicopter

  Lockheed Martin to deliver target sight system for FMS customers

  29th January 2021

  AN/AAQ-30A to be installed on Viper attack helicopters for Bahrain and Czech Republic.

• Naval Warfare

  UK awards maintenance contracts for Stringray and Spearfish

  28th January 2021

  £230 million contract aims to bolster Royal Navy torpedo capabilities.

• Defence Helicopter

  UK rules out FLRAA as Puma helicopter successor

  21st January 2021

  Publication of the Integrated Review should provide a clear idea of how the UK will renew medium-lift rotary capabilities — but it has opted not to rely on US support.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Type-X makes progress in mobility tests

  7th January 2021

  Robotic combat vehicle is designed to support mechanised units equipped with IFVs.

• Defence Notes

  Malaysia outlines this year’s deliveries

  20th January 2021

  The Malaysian Armed Forces will receive AFVs, helicopters and ships this year, but is the Light Combat Aircraft really any closer?

• Defence Helicopter

  Sikorsky to evolve capability of Australian-made ViDAR

  27th January 2021

  Optical radar system to be refined for use by MH-60R Seahawk helicopters.

• Defence Helicopter

  New member joins German CH-53K team

  28th January 2021

  Rheinmetall-led industry team keeps faith despite cancellation of German heavy-lift helicopter tender.

• Special Operations

  German SOF training to use H145 helicopters

  10th December 2020

  Three H145Ds to be provided by Belgian company NHV

• Defence Helicopter

  Russia stays optimistic about Ka-226T deal with India

  12th January 2021

  Will India finally follow through with its plan to buy 200 helicopters?

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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 - 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 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 - 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 - maritime

  Kondor Naval Helicopters (Poland)

  Programme Background In 2018, the Polish MoD announced its requirement to purchase up to eight naval helicopters to replace in-service SH-2G Super Seasprite helicopters. Polish ...

• 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 - 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 - multirole

  H135 (UK)

  Programme BackgroundAirbus Helicopters UK announced on 2 February 2022 that it has won an order to provide five additional H135 twin-engine helicopters for the MoD. The ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Ka-226T-India-Air Force

  An official contract announcement is expected during the Aero India 2021 exhibition in Bangalore, although negotiations have dragged on for more than five years and ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-X

  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 - multirole

  H145M (Contracted) [Germany]

  Programme Background Previous Usage The German Armed Forces ordered 15 H145M helicopters, with the initial two delivered in December 2015, for the Kommando Spezialkräfte. These ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  Naval Utility Helicopters (India)

  Programme Background The program will witness the formation of a joint venture between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and another local or foreign manufacturer. In June ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  H-145M (Serbia)

  Serbia's aircraft will be equipped with a fast roping system, high-performance camera, fire support equipment, ballistic protection as well as an electronic countermeasures system. The ...

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

  Système de Drone Aérien pour la Marine (SDAM) [France]

  Programme Background Requirement The requirement for the SDAM programme is a rotary-wing VTOL-capable UAV with a modular configuration capable of hosting a range of payloads. ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• Model 301 Fire Attack

  The Model 301 is a belly tank/refill hose system for Airbus Helicopters AS365-series helicopters.

• Military helicopters - multirole

  H145M

  The H145M (formerly known as the EC645 T2) is the military version of the H145 medium-sized (3.7t) helicopter. It is marketed as a multi-role platform ...

• Model 316 Fire Attack

  The Model 316 is a belly tank/refill hose system for Airbus Helicopters H225 and AS332 L-series helicopters.

• 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 - 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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. ...

• AC67 Airbus Helicopters H135 interior

  Bucher has developed the AC67 medical interior for the Airbus Helicopters H135 in cooperation with ADAC Luftrettung.The lightweight, modular design features a floor with integrated ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - Radar Warning Receivers

  EWR-99

  Dassault is not traditionally associated with electronic warfare subsystems, instead being equated with the manufacture of combat aircraft and business jets. Nonetheless, the company did, ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  H125M

  The H125M (formerly the AS550 B3e Fennec) is a military version of the civil H125. The helicopter has a reduced radar signature due to the use ...

• 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 ...

• H160

  Airbus Helicopters unveiled a full-scale model of the H160 medium twin rotorcraft on 3 March 2015 at Heli-Expo. The utility helicopter, the first to be ...