Americas The Naval Air Systems Command is ordering a provisioning parts database of technical information from Sikorsky. The cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order is priced at $38 million and supports the initial operational capability of the Navy's CH-53K King Stallion...
US Army begins process for more Lakota LUH | Eurosam to lead study into air defense system for Turkey | China starts construction of third carrier
Americas * Northrop Grumman has been awarded a $11.7 million US Navy order from the US Department of Defense (DoD) to provide Advanced Radar Processor (ARP) hardware sets in support of the service's E-2D Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft. Work on the contract...
Shanahan confirmed as Dep. Defense Sec. | USS North Dakota tests Tomahawk with Block III Payload Tubes | India gears up for LUH
Americas * Leidos has received a $64 million task order for the integration and demonstration of three Airborne Reconnaissance Low-Enhanced (ARL-E) ground surveillance and intelligence aircraft. Work and testing will take place at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., and...
New Zealand Makes its LUH Choice
A109 Malaysia(click to view full) The Royal New Zealand Air Force is a shadow of its former self these days, but at least the service was recently given permission to upgrade its helicopter capabilities. Phase 1 involved buying 9 NH90s in 2006 to replace its...
US Army LUH Competition: 4 Bids, New Partnerships
MD-900 Explorer: Survivor(click to view full) DID has covered the US Army's $2+ billion, 320 helicopter Light Utility Helicopter competition in numerous posts, from the original expected matchup between Bell Helicopter Textron 210 and MDHI-Lockheed's MD-900 Explorer...
LUH Program Competition Becomes a 4-Way Race
Bell 412EP(click to view full) DID has covered the U.S. Army's $2 billion Light Utility Helicopter competition before, which aims to replace many of the US Army's older UH-1 Hueys and OH-58 Kiowas. from the original 2 competitors (Bell's UH-1 descendants the 210 or...
…And Eurocopter Makes 3: EADS To Compete for $2B U.S. LUH Program
UH-60 Blackhawk In a recent DID post, we covered the US Army's upcoming Light Utility Helicopter competition, which aims to replace the old UH-1H Hueys and OH-58 Kiowa aircraft in the U.S. Army and National Guard with approximately 320 new LUH helicopters between...
MD Helicopter Recapitalizes, Prepares for LUH Competition
MD 500 Defender(click to view full) Light helicopter manufacturer MD Helicopters, Inc. in Mesa, AZ, completed a significant restructuring transaction this month. As part of the transaction, Patriarch Partners, LLC, a New York based financial firm with approximately...
Snakes and Rotors: The H-1 Helicopter Program
UH-1Y and AH-1Z by Neville Dawson The US Marines' helicopter force is aging at all levels, from banana-shaped CH-46 Sea Knight transports that are far older than their pilots, to the 1980s-era UH-1N Hueys and AH-1W Cobra attack helicopters that make up the Corps'...
KC-46A Pegasus Aerial Tanker Completes Firsts
KC-135: Old as the hills... (click to view full) DID's FOCUS articles cover major weapons acquisition programs - and no program is more important to the USAF than its aerial tanker fleet renewal. In January 2007, the big question was whether there would be a...