MILITARY ACQUISITIONS
Afghan air force has been boosted with five additional MD 530F Cayuse Warrior light attack helicopter.
The attack helicopters which arrived in Kabul on June 17 are aimed at boosting Afghan Air Force's (AAF's) capability and to support Afghan National Army ground operations as the country continues battling the militants groups (ISIS/Taliban).
The latest delivery by United States to AAF raises the number of such attack helicopters from 13 to 18.
U.S. is set to make another batch of nine aircrafts by the end of August 2016 meaning the number of the AAF's MD 530Fs will increase to a pre-arranged total of 27.
MD 530F Cayuse Capabilities (Brief)
- Capability to fire rockets or .50 calibre machine guns
- Equipped with FN Herstal 12.7 mm (.50 cal) heavy machine gun pods
- Has seven-tube M260 launchers for 70 mm (2.75 inch) rockets
- High-capacity, extended landing gear
- MD 530F can carry a useful load of 684kg and an external load of 979kg, and has a fuel capacity of 183kg.
- Armed with FN HMP400 LCC (links and case collector) coaxial airborne weapon system developed by FN Herstal
- Can also be attached with Mace Aviation-developed Extended Range Weapons Wing (ER2W), which has four weapons stations and a 35gal internal fuel tank
- Can fly at a maximum cruise speed of 248km/h and has a maximum range of 430km
- Equipped with Rhode & Schwarz M3AR tactical radio communications solution with a frequency range from 30MHz to 400MHz
MD 530F attack helicopters are the first ones fitted with rockets. Rocket-firing capabilities are set to be added to the previously delivered 13 MD 530Fs over the course of 2016, according to a report by the US Department of Defense.
