Royal Thai Army first AH-6i makes maiden flight
On 4 October 2024 Boeing Defense announced the first succesful flight of the first AH-6i destined for the Royal Thai Army (Kong Thap Bok Thai).The flight of the helicopter carrying serial 22001 had already taken place on Thursday 22 August from the production site at Mesa (AZ). Based on experience with other Army equipment ordered via FMS, Scramble assumes the serial will be taken from the FMS serial. Delivery of all eight helicopters is expected in 2025.
In september 2019 the Royal Thai Army ordered eight AH-6i Little Birds, worth USD 103.8 million, for replacement of the aging AH-1F Cobra’s. The helicopters will be used by 3AvBat, based at Lop Buri/Sa Pran Nak (VTBH). On 24 September 2019 the US State Department had approved the foreign military sale of the helicopters including traning of personal at the production plant. The sale also included spare parts, training devices and support equipment.
The fuselages of the AH-6i are produced by Korean Aerospace, as sub-contractor, and delivered to Boeing Defense. Boeing Defense will install the equipment. The first fuselage for a Royal Thai Army AH-6i was delivered to Boeing in July 2023. Korean Aerospace has a long history of producing fuselages of the type. It goes back to the eighties when the company produced the fuselages of the the ROK Army MD500MDs.
After the merger with McDonnell Douglas, including MDHC, Boeing sold the civil helicopter production lines to MD Helicopters in January 1999. Boeing kept the right to produce the military AH-6 models, which where in use by US Army 160th SOAR.
Scramble posted earlier on the Thai deal here.
Photo: Boeing Defense