Afghan MD 530F Helos to receive Crashworthy Fuel System Upgrade

MD Helicopters, Inc. (MDHI) has announced two independent contract awards from Army Contracting Command-Redstone to support allied operations of the MD 530F Cayuse Warrior light attack helicopter.

Both contracts were awarded on September 29, 2020.

The first contract, worth $6.1 million, requires MDHI to retrofit 18 legacy MD 530F helicopters operated by the Afghanistan Air Force with ballistic-tolerant crashworthy fuel systems (CWFS). Jointly developed with Robertson Fuel Systems, the 59-gallon MD 530F CWFS delivers unmatched safety and survivability. The system features ballistically self-sealing fuel cells, crash-worthy bladders compliant to MIL-DTL-27422, gravity fed auxiliary fuel transfer, compatibility with Robertson’s 38-gallon Little Bird Auxiliary Tank System (LBATS), and combat proven performance. Under the contract, MDHI will perform the retrofit of the CWFS for each helicopter in Afghanistan.

The second contract, worth $6.4 million, modifies MDHI’s original 2018 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity production contract to supply six aircraft to the Lebanon Air Force. The modification adds instructor pilot flight training, maintenance and armament training for 12 pilots and 16 maintenance technicians from the Lebanon Air Force. Training will take place at MDHI’s Flight Training Academy in Mesa, Ariz., which provides military-specific training to customers operating MDHI helicopters. Under the terms of the contract, the academy will provide night vision goggle (NVG), standard military instruction, instructor pilot, train the trainer, gunnery, maintenance, armament, and operations in high, heavy, and hot environments training. Performed in two of the Lebanon Air Force’s new MD 530F helicopters, training started this month and takes place through April 2021. As a part of the contract, MDHI was awarded increased logistics support to include additional spare parts for the six helicopters to help the Lebanon Air Force maintain an exceptionally high level of operational availability.