• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Frontex picks Heron for maritime surveillance role

  21st October 2020

  Framework contract follows series of trials over recent years

• Defence Helicopter

  RAF Puma helicopter replacement to be ‘considered’ in defence review

  20th November 2020

  The UK MoD will consider replacing the RAF's Puma helicopter fleet as part of Integrated Review plans.

• Naval Warfare

  Iran’s new warship dismissed as ‘vanity project’

  20th November 2020

  Country trumpets arrival of new 'aircraft carrier' but analysis indicates that purported capabilities might not be all that are claimed.

• Defence Helicopter

  NATO partner nations launch Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability

  20th November 2020

  Five NATO nations have signed up to develop a new medium class multirole helicopter under NATO's Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability (NGRC) programme.

• Military Logistics

  RAAF KC-30As to undergo two-phase upgrade

  12th October 2020

  Airbus will retrofit new communications capabilities and enhanced mission system equipment to aid RAAF interoperability with allies

• Training

  Typhoon synthetic training in Germany gains cockpit refresh

  12th October 2020

  Typhoon Pilot Synthetic Training System is being enhanced nationwide with new equipment

• Digital Battlespace

  What is an STT? Small Tactical Terminal (sponsored video)

  17th November 2020

  The KOR-24A STT extends the ability of warfighters to conduct real-time communications and increase interoperability in austere environments.

• Training

  Bangladesh takes receipt of Chinese-built trainer jets

  16th October 2020

  Seven K-8W trainer jets, built by the Hongdu Aviation Industry Corporation (HAIC) in China, touched down in Bangladesh on 15 October. Photos released by the …

• Defence Helicopter

  US Army and Sikorsky to test ‘multi-ship’ optionally piloted Black Hawks

  12th November 2020

  Multiple UH-60 optionally piloted Black Hawk flight tests, under DARPA's ALIAS Phase III, are set to begin next year.

• Defence Helicopter

  Light utility helicopter sale to Guyana moves closer

  2nd November 2020

  ​Four helicopters to be supplied in FMS deal, pending approval from US Congress

• Air Warfare

  Eurofighter delivers proposal to Spain for more Typhoons

  22nd October 2020

  The 20 new aircraft would be procured as part of the wider Project Halcon F-18 replacement programme

• Naval Warfare

  ‘Extraordinarily expensive’ outcome for USN as USS Bonhomme Richard to be decommissioned

  1st December 2020

  The USN has declared a second major naval platform loss due to fire damage in less than a decade, after the decision was taken to decommission the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard

• Defence Helicopter

  RUAG Australia overhauls Romeos for USN

  30th October 2020

  Deal is awarded under collaborative Australian-US governmental initiative

• Defence Helicopter

  French Tiger Mk3s to include MMP derivative

  17th November 2020

  Modular MHT/MLP concept can be integrated with a variety of land or air platforms, MBDA claims

• Defence Notes

  Greece plays procurement catch-up with Turkey

  2nd December 2020

  Tensions with Turkey over maritime sovereignty and the exploitation of lucrative gas reserves in the Mediterranean are directly affecting procurement decisions in Athens

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 ...