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The McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems MD 500 Defender is a light multi-role military helicopter based on the MD 500 light utility helicopter. ==Design and development== The original OH-6 Cayuse helicopter proved its worth during the Vietnam War in the light helicopter role. The designers at Hughes realized there was a market for a light multi-mission helicopter with an improved equipment fit than the OH-6 and Model 500M. The resulting design was the ''Model 500MD Defender'' which first flew in 1976. It was tailored for specific roles including unarmed observation and an armed scout helicopter equipped with TOW anti-tank missiles. An anti-submarine version was developed with a search radar, magnetic anomaly detector and the capability to carry lightweight aerial torpedoes. The helicopter was popular with customers like Kenya who could buy a capable anti-armor helicopter for less than half the cost of a gunship such as the AH-1 Cobra or the AH-64 Apache. Israel used the Defender extensively during the conflicts of the late 1970s and 1980s against Syrian armored forces. The Defender was later built as an improved version as the ''MD530MG'', with increased engine power, handling, avionics, and a redesigned forward fuselage. Later developments included a mast mounted sight (MMS). In December 2012, Boeing demonstrated their Unmanned Little Bird to the South Korean Army. The pilotless aircraft flew autonomously for 25 minutes. The purpose of the demonstration was to show unmanned capabilities technologies, such as enhanced ISR and resupply, in the system that could be integrated into Army MD 500 helicopters.〔(Little Bird demo for the Republic of Korea ) - SUASNews.com, December 14, 2012〕 In October 2015, KAL-ASD unveiled a mock-up of the unmanned MD 500, designated the KUS-VH, featuring blacked out windows, a large fuel tank where the rear seats would be that extends endurance to four hours, and an armament of two Hellfire missiles and a 2.75 in rocket pod. Although there is no formal requirement, the company says making the helicopters unmanned would be a cheap way of reusing them after retirement for safely performing dangerous attack missions. Flight tests are to begin later in the month and continue over two years.〔(PICTURES: KAL-ASD to test unmanned MD500 ) - Flightglobal.com, 20 October 2015〕 MD Helicopters had submitted a version called the ''MD 540F'' in the U.S. Army's Armed Aerial Scout program. This caused Boeing to try and block MD Helicopters from participating, citing agreements the companies struck in 2005 to offer the Mission Enhanced Little Bird in the Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter program. As part of the venture, MD Helicopters sold intellectual property related to the aircraft's design. The two companies lost the bid and the program was ultimately cancelled. When MD Helicopters disclosed plans to offer the MD 540F in the AAS program in April 2012, Boeing claimed that they could not sell any "similarly configured" aircraft to any U.S. or foreign military organization. Boeing offered their AH-6 in the competition. MD Helicopters said Boeing did not object to previous sales to armed forces and governments in Japan, Jordan, and Italy, as well as to U.S. special operations, and local U.S. police forces. Restrictions on selling aircraft similar to the Little Bird, domestically or to foreign users, would have put the company out of business. In July 2013, a federal court ruled that MD Helicopters could not be blocked from offering their aircraft.〔(Lynn Tilton Bests Boeing in Helicopter Arbitration ) - Justhelicopters.com, 25 July 2013〕 The Army ended the AAS program in late 2013.〔(Outgoing General: US Army Must Continue To Fund Research and Development ) - Defensenews.com, 14 January 2014〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「McDonnell Douglas MD 500 Defender」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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