First Airbus A400M cargo plane for Kazakhstan

Airbus Defence and Space has delivered the first Airbus A400M to the Republic of Kazakhstan. The plane will become the cornerstone of the country’s tactical and strategic airlift operations.

Following a ferry flight from Airbus’ A400M Final Assembly Line in Seville, southern Spain, the first of two Airbus A400Ms was handed over during a ceremony in Almaty, south Kazakhstan.

“Proven for over a decade in military and humanitarian operations worldwide, the A400M is a game changer for the Kazakh Air Defense Forces, delivering unrivaled tactical and strategic capabilities in a single platform,” said Jean-Brice Dumont, head of air power at Airbus Defence and Space. “A second A400M, currently in production, will further strengthen these capabilities on its delivery in 2026.”

With the delivery of this aircraft, production number MSN139, Airbus will also provide a full range of maintenance and training support.

To date, more than 130 A400Ms have been delivered to nine countries and have accumulated 200,000 flight hours, participating in missions such as the evacuation of civilian and military personnel from Afghanistan, Sudan and Niger. The A400M can transport heavy and outsized cargo onto short, unprepared airstrips and drop up to 116 paratroopers or 25 tons of cargo.

DEA requests new airborne imaging systems for aircraft

The Aviation Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) wants to install new airborne imaging systems and mission equipment aboard its aircraft.

According to a Request for Proposal (RFP) document released in November, the new imaging equipment will be installed on Cessna 206 and Cessna 208 aircraft along with Bell 407 and Bell 412 helicopters.

The RFP document shows an estimated nine Cessna 206, two Cessna 208, two Cessna 208B, five Bell 407, and one Bell 412 will receive the new imaging equipment.

Cessna 206

The new airborne imaging systems for each Cessna 206 aircraft shall consist of one L3Harris Wescam MX-10 Gyro-stabilized EO/IR imager and associated equipment. The MX-10 shall be mounted on the left side of the aircraft just behind the rear most window via a fuselage camera mount. The operator console will be in the rear cabin area directly behind the pilot and copilot’s seats.

The contractor will also install and integrate the Janteq AViTR3 Transceiver System. This system will transmit C-Band frequencies while receiving L-Band frequencies allowing live video through a secure connection to and from Adaptive Central Receive Systems, or ACRx citywide systems.

ACRx is a video collection, transport, and centralized receive system designed to maximize coverage area and support a scalable number of subscribers. ACRx systems are deployed in many of the metropolitan areas across the United States and are shared by the FBI and other Department of Justice (DOJ) law enforcement agencies. All data collected is backhauled to a local DOJ facility located in the area of responsibility.

Cessna 208

The airborne imaging systems for each Cessna 208 aircraft shall consist of one L3Harris Wescam MX-15HDi Gyro-stabilized EO/IR imager and associated equipment. The MX-15HDi shall be mounted on the left side of the aircraft via a fuselage camera mount.

Bell 407

The airborne imaging systems for each Bell 407 shall consist of one L3Harris Wescam MX-10 Gyro-stabilized EO/IR imager and associated equipment. The imager for the Bell 407 shall be mounted on the aircraft’s nose utilizing an imager mount.

Bell 412

The airborne imaging systems for each Bell 412 shall consist of one L3Harris Wescam MX-10 Gyro-stabilized EO/IR imager and associated equipment. The Imager for the Bell 412 shall be mounted on the aircraft’s belly forward of the pilot’s position.

The Period of Performance under the contract will be one base year with four one-year options. The contractor will be required to complete the installation of each system within ten weeks after each aircraft is delivered to the contractor’s facility.

“Due to mission requirements, the government anticipates no more than two aircraft at a time undergoing an airborne imaging system and mission equipment installation,” the DEA said in the RFP.

Answering questions from contractors, the DEA provided a list of serial numbers for their fleet of Bell helicopters in the RFP document.

DEA Bell Helicopter Fleet

Bell 407, serial number: 53680

Bell 407, serial number: 53720

Bell 407, serial number: 53654

Bell 407, serial number: 53693

Bell 407, serial number: 53900

Bell 407, serial number: 53911

Bell 407, serial number: 53621

Bell 412, serial number: 36388

Bell 412, serial number: 36390

Bell 412, serial number: 36448

Bell 412, serial number: 36493