Aerospace manufacturer MD Helicopters (MDHI) has secured two independent contract awards from the US Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, US.
Valued at $43.9m, the contracts support the Afghan Air Force’s (AAF) MD 530F Cayuse Warrior light attack helicopters.
Built by MD Helicopters, MD 530F Cayuse Warrior is an armed variant of the OH-6 Cayuse light observation helicopter. It is designed to enhance scout attack, armed escort and close air attack capabilities of the airforces.
The first contract, awarded last month, is a six-month extension to an existing contract and is valued at $14.5m.
It continues the company’s longstanding efforts to provide programme management and contractor logistics support (CLS) services.
The company will also provide remote operations to support the Afghan fleet.
Work with respect to this contract will take place in Mesa in Arizona, Kabul in Afghanistan, and Al-Ain in the UAE.
Meanwhile, the second contract is a $29.4m order to modify MDHI’s original maintenance capabilities support contract.
Awarded on 10 June, this contract will see MD Helicopters provide continued maintenance, repairs, updates, as well as overhauls of the AAF’s MD 530F Cayuse Warrior helicopters in Mesa, Kabul, and Al-Ain.
MD Helicopters aftermarket and customer support vice-president Nick Nenadovic said: “While US forces begin the drawdown process in Afghanistan, these contracts allow us to help Afghanistan’s Air Force maintain stability on their own through the continued support of their aircraft.
“This further highlights the value our government and the Afghan Air Force put on the MD 530F.
“It is with tremendous pride we can continue providing the highest level of support for both our government and allies.”
In November 2019, MD Helicopters received a firm-fixed-price order for the delivery of 12 armed MD 530F Cayuse Warrior helicopters for the Afghan Air Force.
