MD Helicopters, Inc. (MDHI) announces an agreement with the U.S. Army worth about $34 million to provide logistics support for the Afghanistan Air Force MD 530F Cayuse Warrior light attack and reconnaissance helicopter fleet. Under the terms of the contract, MDHI will provide maintenance, repairs, updates, and overhauls of the aircraft in Mesa, Arizona, and Kabul, Afghanistan. The estimated completion date for all work is May 31, 2021. The deal is a continuation of MDHI’s contractor logistics support (CLS) with the U.S. Army and Multi-National Aviation Special Project Office (MASPO) for the fleet. The Afghan Air Force is currently the largest MD 530F Cayuse Warrior operator globally.
American aerospace manufacturer MD Helicopters had received a firm fixed-price order for the delivery of 12 armed MD 530F Cayuse Warrior helicopters for the Afghan Air Force (AAF). This is the fourth delivery order issued to MD Helicopters against its five-year, $1.4bn light scout attack helicopter indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract. Awarded through US Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, on behalf of the Multi-national Aviation Special Project Office (MASPO), the contract comes after the successful delivery of aircraft ordered through Delivery Order 1.
“This contract illustrates the Army’s and MASPO’s continued confidence in MD Helicopters’ ability to successfully manage our CLS contract,” says Nick Nenadovic, Vice President of Aftermarket and Customer Support for MD Helicopters, Inc. We have delivered 60 aircraft to the Afghan Air Force and we maintain a vested interest in ensuring the highest level of support to keep the entire fleet mission ready.
The enhanced MD 530F Cayuse Warrior is a light armed attack helicopter revered for its power, safety, speed, agility, and unparalleled confined area capabilities. An evolution of the fabled OH-6 Cayuse light observation helicopter, and widely recognized for speed, safety, agility and the ability to operate with ease in confined spaces and at high altitudes, the MD 530F Cayuse Warrior is adaptable to support both training and combat missions. The helicopters feature an advanced, all-glass cockpit, DillonAero Fixed-Forward Sighting System, ballistically tolerant crashworthy main and auxiliary fuel system, DillonAero Mission Configurable Armament System (MCAS), FN Herstal HMP 400 .50 calibre Machine Gun Pods, ballistic armour protection, and M260 7-shot rocket pods.
