Update: MD Helicopters relaunches MD 530F as TH/AH530

MD Helicopters has changed the designation of its MD 530F to the TH530 or AH530 depending on whether it is a trainer or a light combat platform. (MD Helicopters)

MD Helicopters (MDH) has relaunched its MD 530F rotorcraft as the TH530 and AH530 for the military trainer and light attack markets respectively, a company spokesperson confirmed to Janes .

The move to rebadge MDH's version of the ‘Little Bird' came some 11 months after the company told Janes in March 2023 that it was consolidating the different platforms it had previously marketed to military customers, focusing instead on MD 500 conversions to the MD 530 standard and newbuild MD 530 airframes only.

“We have [now] updated our designations of our military product line. We have the TH530, which is a trainer; the AH530 (formerly Cayuse Warrior), which is the attack helicopter; and the AH530 Block II ([formerly] Cayuse Warrior Plus [CWP and/or MD 530F+]) is the attack helicopter with precision weapons [BAE Systems Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System] APKWS [guided rockets], and optional [Lockheed Martin AGM-114] Hellfire [guided missiles],” the spokesperson said on 20 February.

MDH specifications give the baseline TH/AH530 a maximum gross weight of 1,700 kg, a useful load of 780 kg, a service ceiling of 16,000 ft, a hover-in-ground effect of 14,400 ft, a hover-out-of-ground effect of 14,000 ft, a range of 574 km, and a maximum cruise speed of 110 kt.