MD Helicopters, Inc. (MDHI) announced today that it has been awarded a five-year, firm-fixed price contract to provide an estimated quantity of 150 armed MD 530 aircraft and the required production support services – including program management, delivery support, pilot training, and maintenance – to U.S. and partner nation army aviation forces in support of U.S. Army foreign military sales (FMS) opportunities.

“This contract is recognition of our ability to rapidly respond to the needs of our military customers,” said Lynn Tilton, chief executive officer of MDHI, “and a testament to the effective, efficient role the MD 530 Armed Scout Attack helicopters play in the global fight against terror. It is MDHI’s great honor to continue to serve and support the Warfighter.”

Initial Delivery

The first deliveries under the contract will be 30 new MD 530F Cayuse Warrior helicopters for the Afghan Air Force. Valued at $176.6 million, these first aircraft will be configured with MDHI’s newly certified Block 1 glass cockpit, featuring the Howell Instruments Engine Instrumentation System, Garmin GDU 620 Electronic Flight Instruments, Garmin GTN 650H Communication/Navigation/Global Positioning System (COM/NAV/GPS), and Northern Airborne Technology Cabin Audio System.

Mission Equipment for these aircraft will include a ballistic crashworthy fuel system, consisting of a main fuel tank and a 38-gallon auxiliary fuel tank, high capacity landing gear, FN Herstal weapons management system, DillonAero mission configurable armament system (MCAS) weapons plank and fixed-forward sighting system, Rohde & Schwarz M3AR tactical mission radio, and FN Herstal .50 caliber HMP 400 machine gun pods and M260 7-shot rocket pods.

“The MD 530F Cayuse Warrior has been a proven performer in support of ground operations and in the execution of close air support interactions since it first arrived in Kabul,” Tilton continued. “It is extremely gratifying to see that our focus on quality, technology, and rapid delivery has resulted in such a significant contract; one that solidifies MDHI’s position as a preferred provider of armed scout attack helicopter solutions.”

“Serving the Warfighter is our legacy. It is at the heart of who we are as a company,” Tilton concluded. “We are honored to have received this contract and the initial Delivery Order for Afghanistan, and remain steadfast in our commitment to rapidly delivering safe, reliable, and customizable armed scout attack helicopter solutions that meet a full range of mission profiles.”

Aircraft deliveries on the initial Contract Delivery Order will be complete by September 2019.