MD Helicopters Inc (MDH) has revealed a new military derivative of the twin-engined MD 902 Explorer, dubbed the MD 969 Combat Explorer.
The new MD Helicopters Inc MD 969 military derivative of the MD 902 was shown at the HELI-EXPO event on 5 March. (MDHI via Twitter)
The MD 969, which was showcased at the HAI HELI-EXPO event in Atlanta, Georgia, on 5 March, shares the same basic outer mould line as its civilian stablemate and retains the no-tailrotor (NOTAR) configuration of the baseline helicopter.
Where the MD 969 differs most from the MD 902 is in the provision of four munitions hardpoints mounted on an integrated weapons plank. The helicopter at HELI-EXPO was displayed carrying a mix of rocket pods and 12.7 mm heavy machine gun pods, while a promotional video released by MDHI showed it fitted with AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface missiles and 7.62 mm door-mounted Gatling-guns.
Other features include a composite fuselage and a digital ‘glass’ cockpit with three Genesys Aerosystems integrated IDU-680 multi-functional displays (MFDs) and one Macro-Blue tactical display, while the 173 cubic feet cabin volume allows for the carriage of up to six combat troops.
Speaking at the event, MDHI CEO Lynn Tilton reportedly said that the company is pitching the MD 969 at the US Army’s upcoming Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) requirement, which is part of the service’s wider Future Vertical Lift (FVL) programme. As such, it will be powered by the Improved Turbine Engine Programme (ITEP) powerplant (selected as the General Electric T901-GE-900 in February, but currently subject to a protest from rival bidder Advanced Turbine Engine Company [ATEC]) that will be fitted to the FARA helicopter, as well as the US Army’s current fleet of Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian helicopters.
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