AURORA, Colorado—MD Helicopters is expanding the weapons capability of its AH530 Cayuse Warrior light attack scout helicopter to include Lockheed Martin AGM-112 Hellfire missiles, the first test firings of which the company hopes to conduct later this year.
The Hellfire-capable variant, dubbed the AH530 Block II-plus, is derived from the baseline Block II variant which was displayed with a new integrated avionics and weapons system at the Army Aviation Association of America summit here. Reconfigurable between training and light combat roles, the TH/AH530 integrates Garmin and Howell avionics with a suite of guided and unguided weapons.
As shown here, the baseline AH530 Block II features a Moog Weapon Stores Management System with the laser-guided BAE Systems-developed advanced precision kill weapons system–as configured for a batch of helicopters delivered to the Lebanese Armed Forces Air Force in 2021. The Block II also includes a Moog Weapons Control Panel, an enhanced stores management computer and a laser arm panel. The suite is complemented by a Curtiss-Wright mission computer operating an L3 Harris ForceX Widow mission management system.
MD Helicopters, which is currently assembling AH530s for the Nigerian Army under a contract for 12 aircraft finalized in 2023, aims to expand its presence in the light attack and training markets with the updated variants. MD Helicopters delivered six aircraft in 2022 and 10 in 2023 and plans to deliver 16 in 2024. The company has the tooling to produce 50 aircraft per year.
With a focus on production of the TH/AH530, the company says it remains in discussions with several interested parties over the sale of the type certificate for the MD902 helicopter, which features the original McDonnell Douglas Helicopter-developed No-Tail Rotor (NOTAR) anti-torque system.
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