DOPPELADLER.COM

theoderich hat geschrieben: ↑Di 10. Okt 2023, 11:23 Latvia revealed to be undisclosed customer of Cayuse Warrior light attack helicopter

Boeing is to end production of its AH-6i light attack and reconnaissance rotorcraft once orders for the type's latest customer are completed.

Senior director, business development for vertical lift at Boeing, Mark Ballew, told Janes and other defence media on 26 February that the company's ‘Little Bird' line in Mesa, Arizona, will be shuttered as soon as the eight helicopters now on order for Thailand are built.

“We will cease production on the AH-6i, once we've got Thailand down the line. Right now, unless there's another country that comes immediately and says, ‘Hey, we want the AH-6i today,' [it will end],” Ballew said at the IQPC International Military Helicopter (IMH) 2025 conference in London.

Ballew did not expand on why this decision had been taken at this time, but with only the Saudi Arabian National Guard and Royal Thai Army buying 32 helicopters between them Boeing appears to have decided that the market for substantial further orders is not there.

Launched in 2009 in the wake of the US Army's aborted Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH) programme, the AH-6i was designed by Boeing to meet the needs of those countries that either could not afford or did not require the capabilities of a dedicated attack helicopter such as the company's AH-64 Apache.