McDonnell-Douglas MD500 Defender

The McDonnell-Douglas Helicopter Systems MD500 Defender is a light multi-role military helicopter based on the MD500 light utility helicopter and OH-6 Cayuse light observation helicopter.

Variants

 * MD500D Scout Defender: Armed reconnaissance version
 * MD500M Defender: Military export variant of the MD500 and MD500C, built under license by Kawasaki in Japan (as the OH-6J) and Breda Nardi in Italy.
 * MD500M/ASW Defender: Export variant for the Spanish Navy.
 * NH-500E Defender: Export variant for Italy built under license by Breda Nardi.
 * NH-500M Defender: Italian-built version of the MD500M Defender. Licensed by Breda Nardi before its merger with Agusta.
 * 500MD Defender: Military version of the 500D. Korean Air's aerospace division from 1976 to 1984 with 200 choppers made. Fifty were armed with TOW anti-tank missiles and 150 choppers used for transportation and support duties.
 * 500MD/ASW Defender: Maritime version of the 500MD Defender. Equipped with a Bendix RDR-1300 search radar in a nose cone offset to the port side, and a towed ASQ-81C(V)2 magnetic anomaly detector (MAD) at the starboard fuselage. Up to two Mk44 or Mk46 are carried underneath the fuselage, which can be replaced by smoke markers.
 * 500MD/TOW Defender: Anti-tank version of the 500MD Defender, armed with TOW anti-tank missiles.
 * 500MD/MMS-TOW Defender: Anti-tank version, fitted with a mast-mounted sight, armed with TOW anti-tank missiles.
 * 500MD Quiet Advanced Scout Defender: Fitted with noise suppression equipment.
 * 500MD Defender II: Improved variant of the Defender.
 * 500MG Defender: Military version of the 500E.
 * 520MG Defender: Philippine military version. Special Forces version. Modified 500MG Defender that carries .50 (12.7 mm) caliber machine guns and 7-tube rocket pods and operates as a light attack aircraft.
 * 520MK Black Tiger: South Korean-built military version, built by Korean Air Aerospace Division.
 * MD530F Cayuse Warrior: It is a military light scout attack helicopter developed from OH-6 Cayuse. It incorporates simple fixed-forward sighting system, FN Herstal weapons management system, Rohde & Schwarz M3AR tactical mission radio and Dillon Aero mission configurable armament system (MCAS) weapons plank. The Afghan Air Force is the largest operator of the Cayuse Warrior.
 * MD530M: Military variant of the MD500.
 * MD530MG Defender: Military variant.
 * MG530G BII: Improved military variant.
 * MD530 Nightfox: Night attack variant.
 * MD530MG Paramilitary Defender: Variant for police and border patrol.
 * MD540F: Upgraded MD530F, incorporating a 6-bladed, fully articulated rotor blade system made of composite material, a more rugged landing skid for heavier take-off and landing weights, a fully integrated digital glass cockpit with multi-function color displays and a pilot Helmet Display and Tracking System (HDTS), which couples together a targeting FLIR and laser designator.
 * MD530G: Designed based on the MD530F airframe and is engineered with advanced technology to deliver enhanced combat capabilities.

Users

 * Afghanistan
 * Afghan Air Force
 * Argentina
 * Argentine Air Force
 * Argentine Coast Guard
 * Chile
 * Chilean Army
 * Republic of China
 * Republic of China Navy
 * Colombia
 * Colombian Air Force
 * Croatia
 * Croatian Air Force
 * El Salvador
 * Salvadoran Air Force
 * Salvadoran Army
 * Finland
 * Finnish Army
 * Israel
 * Israeli Air Force
 * Italy
 * Italian Air Force
 * Italian Army
 * Japan
 * Japan Ground Self-Defense Force - see Kawasaki OH-1
 * Kenya
 * Kenyan Army
 * Republic of Korea
 * Republic of Korea Air Force
 * Republic of Korea Army
 * Lebanon
 * Lebanese Army
 * Lebanese Air Force
 * Malaysia
 * Royal Malaysian Army
 * Mexico
 * Mexican Air Force
 * Mexican Navy
 * Panama
 * Panamanian Aeronaval Service
 * Philippines
 * Philippine Air Force
 * Spain
 * Spanish Navy
 * United States
 * United States Army

Related Development

 * Boeing AH-6
 * Hughes OH-6 Cayuse
 * Kawasaki OH-1
 * McDonnell-Douglas A/MH-6 Little Bird

Comparable Aircraft

 * Aérospatiale Gazelle
 * MBB Bo105