Boeing’s Vertical Lift division will supply eight AH-6i light attack/reconnaissance helicopters to Thailand under a $103.7 million foreign military sales contract awarded on February 18 by the U.S. Department of Defense. The deal also includes spares, training devices, support equipment, and technical publications.
Deliveries of the ‘Little Birds’ are due in 2024/25, and they will replace the Bell AH-1F Cobras that currently fly with the Royal Thai Army’s 3rd Aviation Battalion “Raptor” at Lop Buri. Eight AH-1Fs were delivered from U.S. Army surplus stocks from 1990, of which one has been written off. The aging fleet represents Thailand’s main armed helicopter capability, but numbers of operational helicopters have dwindled in recent years.
According to the 2019 State Department approval of the sale, the Thai AH-6is will be fitted with Wescam MX-10 electro-optic sensors from L3 Harris and will have night vision goggle compatibility. The proposed armament package includes 50 Lockheed Martin AGM-114R Hellfire missiles, 200 BAE Systems Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) laser-guided 2.75-inch rockets, Hydra unguided rockets, Dillon M134 7.62mm Miniguns, and 0.5-inch heavy machine guns.
The AH-6i is an export version of the MD 500 family based on the MH-6 “Little Bird” supplied to U.S. Special Operations Command, and has an advanced mission computer partly derived from that installed in the AH-64 Apache. Boeing has previously sold the AH-6i to the Royal Saudi National Guard.
Meanwhile, Thailand's neighbor Malaysia finally received its batch of six MD 530Gs from MD Helicopters Inc. (MDHI). The order—which made Malaysia the launch customer for this variant—was placed as long ago as 2016, but delivery has been continually delayed. The manufacturer confirmed the handover to the customer at its Mesa, Arizona, facility on January 13, following which the helicopters were transported by sea to Malaysia, where they arrived in mid-February. The acquisition has been handled by local agent Halaman Optima/Destini Prima.
The Pasukan Udara Tentera Darat (PUTD, Malaysian Army Aviation) plans to induct the MD 530Gs into service by the end of February, with the hope of displaying the type on March 1, Malaysia’s Army Day. The PUTD currently operates 10 Agusta A109 Light Observation Helicopters that can be armed with rockets and a 20mm cannon as its only means of providing aerial armed support for ground forces. They fly with 881 Regiment at Kluang in peninsular Malaysia, but it has been reported that the MD 530Gs will be based on Sabah, a region of ongoing unrest.
MDHI has continued development of the MD 500 family separately from Boeing’s efforts, with the MD 530G the latest and most capable of the armed versions. The helicopters for the PUTD feature many of the systems and weapons also fielded on the AH-6i, including MX-10D electro-optic sensor turret, M134 Minigun, and 2.75in rockets in both guided and unguided forms. They can carry FN Herstal heavy machine gun and rocket/machine gun pods. Weapons management is provided by the Tek Fusion Pathfinder Ares system.