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Breaking Defense • Andrew White

PEO Rotary Wing: SOF MH-60M/MH-47G fleets need technology injections to be “quieter” and enable fewer aircraft in missions

The U.S. Special Operations Command’s MH-60M and MH-47G fleet—flown by the 160th Nightstalkers SOAR—could benefit from technology injections intended to improve acoustic signature and operational effectiveness. The emphasis is on achieving special-operations objectives “quieter,” potentially reducing the number of aircraft required to execute missions.

2026-05-22T09:11:23.421639-07:00

FlightGlobal

AAIB flags AW139 tail rotor incident risk after duplex bearing failure—Leonardo urged to tighten pitch-control assembly risk ass

2026-05-22T06:40:55.936164-07:00

Vertical Mag

MD Helicopters locks in multi-year support for Saudi National Guard’s MD 530F training fleet

2026-05-22T05:54:06.785908-07:00

The War Zone

Night Stalkers’ MH-47 Chinooks eyed for an organic midair refueling tanker role

2026-05-21T13:10:44.578712-07:00

News Timeline

Breaking Defense

PEO Rotary Wing: SOF MH-60M/MH-47G fleets need technology injections to be “quieter” and enable fewer aircraft in missions The U.S. Special Operations Command’s MH-60M and MH-47G fleet—flown by the 160th Nightstalkers SOAR—could benefit from technology injections intended to improve acoustic signature and operational effectiveness. The emphasis is on achieving special-operations objectives “quieter,” potentially reducing the number of aircraft required to execute missions.

2026-05-22T09:11:23.421639-07:00

PEO Rotary Wing: SOF MH-60M/MH-47G fleets need technology injections to be “quieter” and enable fewer aircraft in missions

FlightGlobal

AAIB flags AW139 tail rotor incident risk after duplex bearing failure—Leonardo urged to tighten pitch-control assembly risk ass The UK AAIB is recommending additional safety measures after a serious Leonardo AW139 tail-rotor incident tied to duplex bearing failure risk in the intermediate-twin pitch control assembly, based on probe findings. The action points operators and maintainers toward more robust risk assessment for pitch-control components.

2026-05-22T06:40:55.936164-07:00

AAIB flags AW139 tail rotor incident risk after duplex bearing failure—Leonardo urged to tighten pitch-control assembly risk ass

Vertical Mag

MD Helicopters locks in multi-year support for Saudi National Guard’s MD 530F training fleet MD Helicopters has renewed its OEM support commitment for the Saudi Arabia Ministry of National Guard’s MD 530F training helicopters under a multi-year contract. The agreement extends long-term support for the service’s rotary training capability centered on the MD 530F fleet.

2026-05-22T05:54:06.785908-07:00

MD Helicopters locks in multi-year support for Saudi National Guard’s MD 530F training fleet

The War Zone

Night Stalkers’ MH-47 Chinooks eyed for an organic midair refueling tanker role The U.S. Special Operations “Night Stalkers” are considering assigning an aerial-refueling role to their MH-47 Chinooks, giving the unit an organic tanker capability to refuel other aircraft midair. The concept would expand rotary-wing refueling options beyond externally sourced tanker aircraft.

2026-05-21T13:10:44.578712-07:00

Night Stalkers’ MH-47 Chinooks eyed for an organic midair refueling tanker role

The War Zone

US Army Improved Turbine Engine Program promises performance gains for Night Stalker MH-60M—upgrade path remains uncertain The Army’s Improved Turbine Engine Program is positioned as a major performance boost for the Night Stalker MH-60M Black Hawk upgrade effort, but the program’s near- and mid-term outlook is described as “murky.” The development raises questions about how quickly (and whether) turbine power improvements will translate into fleet fielding.

2026-05-21T10:15:22.719373-07:00

US Army Improved Turbine Engine Program promises performance gains for Night Stalker MH-60M—upgrade path remains uncertain

Vertical Mag

Entrol’s FTD Level 5 helicopter simulator certified in Brazil—first in-country approval for advanced rotorcraft training Entrol’s entrol FTD Level 5 simulator has received certification in Brazil, enabling higher-fidelity helicopter training in a key regional market. The approval positions the simulator for broader use with flight schools and operators seeking advanced instruction beyond basic procedural training.

2026-05-21T06:40:57.739086-07:00

Entrol’s FTD Level 5 helicopter simulator certified in Brazil—first in-country approval for advanced rotorcraft training

FlightGlobal

Airbus steps up Canada footprint for next-gen European military rotorcraft, pitching joint programme cooperation Airbus says it sees only a joint programme as the route to delivering Europe’s future military helicopter, while leaving room to extend cooperation across the Atlantic. Separately, it has established a Canada Tech Hub in Mirabel to broaden engineering and technology coverage, linked to a wider Asia–Europe–South Korea–Japan–Singapore–Netherlands network.

2026-05-21T02:53:51.469664-07:00

Airbus steps up Canada footprint for next-gen European military rotorcraft, pitching joint programme cooperation

FlightGlobal

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Air India A319 airprox: transcript indicates sharp descent to avoid Indian Navy Dhruv helicopter An incident transcript suggests an Air India Airbus A319 departing Port Blair in 2024 performed a sharp descent to avoid an Indian Navy Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) Dhruv Mk III helicopter, reported as an airprox. The report centers on closure distance and the pilot-initiated avoidance maneuver.

2026-05-21T00:54:28.115665-07:00

Air India A319 airprox: transcript indicates sharp descent to avoid Indian Navy Dhruv helicopter

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Helicopter News

PEO Rotary Wing: SOF MH-60M/MH-47G fleets need technology injections to be “quieter” and enable fewer aircraft in missions

AAIB flags AW139 tail rotor incident risk after duplex bearing failure—Leonardo urged to tighten pitch-control assembly risk ass

MD Helicopters locks in multi-year support for Saudi National Guard’s MD 530F training fleet

Night Stalkers’ MH-47 Chinooks eyed for an organic midair refueling tanker role

News Timeline