As the U.S. Army advances its vision for Flight School Next, MD Helicopters proudly puts forward the MD 530F as a purpose-built, combat-relevant training aircraft that directly reflects the mission demands of Army Aviation. Designed, built, and supported in America, the MD 530F is not simply a commercial adaptation—it’s a military training platform born from decades of experience and built for the battlefield environments of tomorrow.
The MD 530F’s fully articulated, five-bladed rotor system provides handling characteristics that closely replicate those of the UH-60M Black Hawk, AH-64E Apache, and CH-47F Chinook—allowing students to train in a platform that feels like the real thing from the start. It offers exceptional maneuverability, direct control response, and unmatched visibility—fostering a training environment that accelerates readiness while reinforcing safety. With hydraulics-free flight controls, an energy-absorbing fuselage, and crash-resistant fuel system, the MD 530F is engineered to protect the Army’s most valuable asset—its crew.
Based on the enduring 500 series airframe, it’s a military training platform that has steadily matured over decades of real-world combat experience. Proudly American-made, the MD 530F is powered by a Rolls Royce C30 engine that delivers 650 shp and excels in high-altitude, high-temperature environments. Its dual-control, NVG-compatible cockpit and durable system architecture enable minimal maintenance downtime and reduced lifecycle costs. These features translate directly into a lower total cost of ownership and a higher return on training investment.
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Download free sample pages More information“The Army is investing in its future warfighters, and that means delivering training tools that truly reflect operational reality,” said Ryan Weeks, President & CEO at MD Helicopters. “The MD 530F is not just ready for that mission—it was built for it.”
Key capabilities that set the MD 530F apart include:
Already in service with military forces around the world, the MD 530F offers the Army a combat-relevant, operationally proven platform—not a test case.
Combat-relevant. Built for safety. Designed to last. Made in America. The MD 530F is ready to train tomorrow’s warfighters—today.
