Boeing is likely to cease production of the AH-6i Little Bird once it completes deliveries of the light-attack helicopter to its sole remaining customer, Thailand.
Mark Ballew, director of business development and strategy for Boeing vertical lift programmes, says it will “probably cease production” of the platform unless additional orders are received.
While there remains a window for new commitments, “unless there’s another country that came immediately and said ‘We want six today’” then it will be a challenge to produce them, he told media on 26 February.
Even in that situation “you have a gap in production”, he says, making the helicopter more expensive to build due to higher component costs.
Boeing secured a Foreign Military Sales contract in 2022 to build eight AH-6is for the Royal Thai Army. First flight of the initial example took place last October.
Thailand is the second export customer for the type after Saudi Arabia, which has 24 in its inventory.
Meanwhile, Boeing continues to support the MH-6 fleet operated by the US Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, says Ballew, including making undisclosed capability upgrades.
In 2024, the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) announced plans to extened the service life of the AH-6 fleet operated by the 160th, after the army cancelled development of a new armed scout rotorcraft. SOCOM’s Little Bird programme manager told FlightGlobal at the time those aircraft will now have to be sustained for “much longer”.
According to documents presented by SOCOM’s rotary-wing aviation office at the 2024 SOF Week event, the 160th will operate the Little Bird as far out as 2040.
In order to accomplish that, Boeing is upgrading the US fleet of AH-6s to the latest Block III standard, which includes a modernised cockpit and a brand new “zero hour” fuselage boasting an improved weight rating of 2,270kg (5,000lb).
The new Block 3 aircraft, which has been designated the AH-6R, comes with a 15-year service life.
SOCOM expects to complete fielding of the modernised Little Birds by 2031.
