Manufacturer catalog

MD Helicopters

MD Helicopters is a U.S. light-helicopter manufacturer based in Mesa, Arizona, with civil, law-enforcement, utility, and military product lines descended from the Hughes and McDonnell Douglas light-rotorcraft families. Its current public lineup centers on MD 500-series aircraft, including the MD 500E, MD 530F, and TH/AH-530 family, while the company also supports fielded MD fleets through parts, service, training, and upgrades.

2 weapons

MD Helicopters traces its corporate lineage to Howard Hughes's aviation enterprises and Hughes Helicopters, whose OH-6 Cayuse and commercial Model 500 family became the basis for later MD 500-series aircraft. Boeing's 1999 sale of the MD 500, MD 600N, and MD Explorer light-helicopter product lines established MD Helicopters as the successor manufacturer for those commercial lines in Mesa, while Boeing retained other military rotorcraft work.

For the catalog, MD Helicopters is relevant where sources identify current MD production, support, or manufacturer responsibility for compact light helicopters and armed derivatives. The company describes itself as a light-helicopter manufacturer and support organization serving civil and military operators, and its MD 530F documentation identifies foreign military, government, and commercial users without requiring conflict-use claims on the manufacturer page.

Light utility helicoptersScout and attack helicoptersLaw-enforcement and government rotorcraftMilitary training, support, parts, and fleet upgrades

Notable Systems

MD 530F, Light utility and scout/attack helicopter, Aircraft & UAVs

MD 530F

Light utility and scout/attack helicopter

Hot-and-high MD 500-series helicopter and Cayuse Warrior scout/attack configuration marketed and supported by MD Helicopters for civil, government, and foreign military operators.

Sources: MD 530F Specifications, MD Models
M/AH-6M Little Bird, Light special operations helicopter, Aircraft & UAVs

M/AH-6M Little Bird

Light special operations helicopter

Compact special-operations helicopter family in the MD 500/OH-6 lineage; the catalog weapon record carries the conflict-specific sourcing and caveats for its operational use.

Sources: MD History, Boeing AH-6 Little Bird

Manufacturer History

  1. Hughes Helicopters lineage begins

    MD Helicopters' own history traces the lineage from Hughes Aircraft to the creation of Hughes Helicopters in 1955, before the OH-6 and Model 500 families shaped the later light-helicopter product line.

    Sources: MD History

  2. Boeing signs light-helicopter sale agreement

    Boeing announced an agreement to sell the MD 500, MD 600N, and MD Explorer light commercial helicopter product lines to MD Helicopters Holding, with operations initially continuing at Mesa's Falcon Field facilities.

    Sources: Boeing Light Helicopter Sale

  3. Asset purchase agreement announced

    MD Helicopters announced a Chapter 11 sale process and asset purchase agreement with a creditor consortium led by Bardin Hill and MBIA Insurance Corporation to acquire nearly all company assets and provide new capital.

    Sources: MD 2022 Asset Purchase Agreement

  4. Current MD 530F specifications published

    MD Helicopters' 2023 MD 530F specifications describe a single-engine, five-blade aircraft for hot-temperature and high-altitude operations with commercial, government, and foreign military users.

    Sources: MD 530F Specifications

Predecessors
Hughes HelicoptersMcDonnell Douglas light helicopter product linesBoeing light commercial helicopter product lines
Website links
Official websiteModelsHistoryContact

Corporate history is summarized from MD Helicopters and Boeing public material; conflict-use details remain on individual weapon records rather than this manufacturer page.

Manufacturer Sources

  • MD Helicopters Official WebsitePublisher: MD Helicopters | Note: Supports current company identity, light-helicopter manufacturer focus, civil and military operator scope, support role, and Mesa contact information. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • MD ContactPublisher: MD Helicopters | Note: Supports headquarters contact address in Mesa, Arizona. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • MD HistoryPublisher: MD Helicopters | Note: Supports Hughes Aircraft and Hughes Helicopters lineage, OH-6/Model 369 background, and light-helicopter product heritage. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • MD ModelsPublisher: MD Helicopters | Note: Supports current public product focus on MD 500E, MD 530F, and TH/AH-530 model families. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • MD 530F SpecificationsPublisher: MD Helicopters | Note: Supports MD 530F manufacturer context, mission roles, hot-and-high design focus, military operator context, and technical specifications. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • Boeing Light Helicopter SalePublisher: Boeing | Note: Supports the 1999 sale agreement for Boeing's MD 500, MD 600N, and MD Explorer light commercial helicopter lines to MD Helicopters Holding and the Mesa operating context. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • Boeing AH-6 Little BirdPublisher: Boeing | Note: Supports AH-6 Little Bird background, multimission role, platform specifications, and system context for the linked catalog record. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • MD 2022 Asset Purchase AgreementPublisher: MD Helicopters | Note: Supports 2022 Chapter 11 sale process, creditor-consortium ownership context, and continued manufacture and service operations. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • DVIDS Afghan Air Force MD-530F ImagePublisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports public-domain image provenance and MD-530F Cayuse Warrior identification for the profile image. | Accessed: 2026-07-11

Produced weapons

Category

Aircraft & UAVs

Crewed aircraft, drones, and loitering munitions.

2/2
M/AH-6M Little Bird, Light special operations helicopter, Aircraft & UAVs2003 Iraq War, 1991 Somali Civil War +1 moreM/AH-6M Little BirdLight special operations helicopterBuilt in: United StatesThe M/AH-6M Little Bird family pairs a compact special operations helicopter with armed and troop-carrying mission fits: AH-6M aircraft provide close air support with guns, rockets, and missiles, while MH-6M aircraft move small assault teams into confined landing zones. U.S. Army history documents AH/MH-6 Little Birds in Somalia and AH-6 support at Hadithah Dam in Iraq; later open-source reporting tied M/AH-6Ms to a caveated 2026 United States-Venezuela Conflict support role.
MD 530F, Light utility and scout/attack helicopter, Aircraft & UAVs2001 War in AfghanistanMD 530FLight utility and scout/attack helicopterBuilt in: United StatesThe MD 530F is the hot-and-high member of the MD 500 helicopter family and the basis for MD Helicopters' Cayuse Warrior scout/attack configuration. Afghan Air Force MD-530 Jengi helicopters were documented in 2015 combat operations and later rocket employment in Kabul, while manufacturer material describes the base airframe as a five-blade, single-engine helicopter for high-temperature and high-altitude missions.