The first of eight Boeing AH-6i Little Bird light attack helicopters for the Royal Thai Army (RTA) completed a successful first flight Aug. 22 at the company’s Mesa, Arizona site. After completing Thailand’s fleet, Boeing will train the Royal Thai Army pilots at its Mesa site and at U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, where they will learn to operate the Little Bird and leverage its versatile mission capabilities. The Royal Thai Army has procured the AH-6 as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance aviation readiness and modernize national defense capabilities. Featuring a purpose-built military fuselage, integrated cockpit, and the latest fully integrated weapons, the AH-6 was designed for a wide range of missions and operating environments to meet customers’ needs around the world.
“With its superior performance and flexible, easily configurable mission equipment, the Little Bird packs enormous versatility into a small, combat-proven package to get the job done. We are proud to partner with the U.S. Army to provide Thailand with these critical defense capabilities, and we look forward to supporting training for the first Thai Little Bird pilots in the near future,” said Christina Upah, vice president of Attack Helicopter Programs and senior Boeing Mesa site executive.
The U.S. State Department approved a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Thailand, consisting of eight AH-6i light attack reconnaissance helicopters and associated equipment. The deal, announced on September 24, 2019, is valued at an estimated $400 million. The new AH-6i helicopters will replace the RTA’s aging fleet of AH-1F Cobra helicopters, enhancing the nation’s ability to defend its homeland and respond to regional threats. Among the weapons included are: 50 AGM-114R Hellfire missiles, 200 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) Rockets and 500 Hydra 70 rockets. Additional equipment in the package includes M134 Mini Guns, M260 Rocket Launchers, GAU-19/B .50 caliber machine guns, and WESCAM MX-10Di cameras, night vision goggles, radar altimeters, and other essential avionics.
The Boeing AH-6 is a series of light helicopter gunships based on the MH-6 Little Bird and MD 500 family. Developed by Boeing Rotorcraft Systems, these include the Unmanned Little Bird (ULB) demonstrator, the A/MH-6X Mission Enhanced Little Bird (MELB), and the proposed AH-6I and AH-6S. Boeing funded the development program itself; it intends to market the aircraft for both military and homeland security roles within the U.S. and internationally. The aircraft is estimated to cost US$2 million. The systems related to the unmanned flight capabilities have also been designed to be able to be installed in any other helicopter as well, including the Apache. The AH-6i is the export version of the AH-6S. The AH-6i first flew on September 16, 2009.
