A military development of the Hughes 500/OH-6 line marketed and fielded in armed scout and anti-armor configurations.
Development
Hughes 500 Defender family was developed by Hughes Helicopters in United States as a armed-reconnaissance aircraft. The family first flew in 1963 and entered service in 1970. Its recorded airframe configuration is rotorcraft, with the family classified in the archive as core combat-aircraft scope.
Operational History
Operationally, Hughes 500 Defender family is represented primarily in the armed-reconnaissance aircraft role. The sourced variant records include service with United States Army. The current structured record does not attach a specific conflict authority to this family; operational context remains limited to sourced service and role data. Role tags attached to the family include armed scout and counterinsurgency.
Variants and Lineage
Major variants represented in the structured record include 500M Defender, 500MD Defender, and MD 530MG Defender. Recorded lineage links identify the family as derived from Hughes OH-6 Cayuse armed scout family.
Variants
| Designation | Type | Role | Recorded operators |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500M Defender | Production | Armed Reconnaissance | United States Army |
| 500MD Defender | Production | Armed Reconnaissance | United States Army |
| MD 530MG Defender | Production | Armed Reconnaissance | United States Army |
Representative specifications
Configuration-specific profiles are shown separately so values from different variants are not blended into one false “standard” aircraft.
500M Defender — C015 baseline technical profile
- Crew
- 2
Powerplant: 1 × Allison 250 turboshaft
Armament: Gun, rocket, and anti-tank missile packages on military Defender variants.
Sources and further reading
Structured references supporting this aircraft family, variants, specifications, and narrative sections.
- Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1974-75 — Sampson Low, Marston & Co. · Tier 3
- Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1989-90 — Jane’s Information Group · Tier 3