24 January 2020 (01:55 UTC-07 Tango 06) 04 Bahman 1398/28 Jumada l-Ula 1441/30 Yi-Chou 4717
Handover Ceremony at Embakasi Barracks, Kenya, 23JAN2020.
It’s a few months late (first promised delivery was for mid-2019, then pushed back to the end of 2019) but the first six of 12 taxpayer funded MD-530F Cayuse Warrior helicopters are now in Kenya.
The helicopters will be used against ‘extremists’ in Somalia. MD Helicopters was issued a five years U.S.$1.4-billion IDIQ contract from U.S. Army Contracting Command-Redstone Arsenal-Multinational Aviation Special Project Office.
IDIQ means Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity, it is a U.S. government phrase referring to contracts that require unknown quantities over a specified time period.
Multinational Aviation Special Project Office states on its website that it “provides aircraft procurement and support activities for customers around the world and services a fleet that includes a wide variety of rotary and fixed wing aircraft such as the Mi-17s, MD-500Es, MD-530Fs, MD-600Ns, AH-1Fs, AH-6i’s, IA-407s, Bell 412s, S-333s, Bell 206s, UH-1s, Huey IIs and AW-139s.” In other words, taxpayers are paying for other countries’ helicopters.
MD Helicopters claims the upgraded MD-530 has the Rolls-Royce 250-C30 650shp turbine engine, advanced all-digital glass cockpit, ballistically tolerant crash-worthy fuel system, Harris RF-7850A tactical radio, Rockwell Collins HF-9000D, FN Herstal Weapons Management System, DillonAero Mission Configurable Armament System (MCAS), DillonAero Fixed-Forward Sighting System, 62mm ballistic armor protection, FN Herstal .50 caliber HMP 400 Machine Gun Pods, and M260 7-shot rocket pods.
VEHICLE I-D video: MD-530F CAYUSE WARRIOR, AFGHANISTAN
AFGHANISTAN GETS MORE U.S. TAXPAYER FUNDED HELICOPTERS & GUNS!