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HelicoptersIn service
Light utility helicopter
MD Helicopters MD 500 is a light utility helicopter originating in United States. It was built by Hughes Helicopters McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems MD Helicopters. Reported operators include Korean People's Air Force Salvadoran Air Force.
United StatesMD Helicopters MD 500
Adrian Pingstone ( Arpingstone ) · Public domain · Resized · Public domain · Source ↗ · ModifiedLight utility helicopter
United States
Hughes Helicopters McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems MD Helicopters
In service
Korean People's Air Force Salvadoran Air Force
4,700
1967–present
1967
27 February 1963
Hughes OH-6 Cayuse
McDonnell Douglas MD 500 Defender Boeing AH-6
MD Helicopters MD 600
2
3 passengers
32 ft 7 in (9.93 m)
8 ft 9 in (2.67 m)
1,591 lb (722 kg)
3,550 lb (1,610 kg)
1 × Allison 250-C30 turboshaft engine, 650 shp (480 kW)
27 ft 4 in (8.33 m)
152 kn (175 mph, 282 km/h)
135 kn (155 mph, 250 km/h)
223 nmi (257 mi, 413 km)
18,700 ft (5,700 m)
2,070 ft/min (10.5 m/s)
61.5 US gal (51 imp gal; 233 L) in two 50% self-sealing bladder tanks under rear cabin floor
1,354 nmi (1,558 mi, 2,508 km) with 1,300 lb (590 kg) of fuel
Iraqi Kurdistan
587.5 sq ft (54.58 m 2 ) * Blade section: - NACA 0012
11,800 ft (3,597 m)
Reference text from Wikipedia contributors, used under CC BY-SA 4.0.
True scale
Sourced dimensions beside a 1.75 m human reference.
Points represent sourced observations, including revisions. Revisions on the same effective date are not separate inventory events. Ranges appear in the table and are not plotted as exact points.
| Observation / report period | Value | Source | Claim state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Sept 2026 | 9.93 m | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
| 28 Sept 2026 | 9.93 m | Wikipedia contributors | approved |
MD Helicopters MD 500 equipment records. Variants, orders and quantities are shown as reported in each inventory source; coverage is incomplete.
ArgentinaDated directory active-fleet estimate for MD500, grouped under MD Helicopters MD 500. Only the explicitly listed service/role Active cells are included. Ordered, stored and upgrade aircraft are excluded. This is the directory coverage of these source types, not a national total, complete owned-fleet census or readiness count.
AzerbaijanReported count for MD 500 · MD-530F. Service scope: Azerbaijani Air Forces; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct quantity component(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Explicit source inventory scope: active; no other stock status or total inferred. Count column(s): in service: 1. Origin: United States. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. Dates are the count-cell citations' stated source period (2024), not the article revision. 2024 cited source edition. Edition or publication years do not claim an exact inventory census day.
BahrainPolice exact named equipment holdings: Hughes 500. Active, operational-reserve and training units excluding equipment in store; November 2025 IISS assessment. Named service only; no parent-force or national total inferred. Source role: HELICOPTERS / ISR. Original estimates, ranges, reporting names, reserve, lease and employment scopes retained; nested included counts are not added. Missile-system quantities mean launchers, not rounds. No readiness, crew, carried weapon, payload, factory-production or future order count inherited.
El SalvadorDated directory active-fleet estimate for MD500, grouped under MD Helicopters MD 500. Only the explicitly listed service/role Active cells are included. Ordered, stored and upgrade aircraft are excluded. This is the directory coverage of these source types, not a national total, complete owned-fleet census or readiness count.
FinlandArmy exact named equipment holdings: Hughes 500D. Active, operational-reserve and training units excluding equipment in store; November 2025 IISS assessment. Named service only; no parent-force or national total inferred. Source role: HELICOPTERS / MRH. Original estimates, ranges, reporting names, reserve, lease and employment scopes retained; nested included counts are not added. Missile-system quantities mean launchers, not rounds. No readiness, crew, carried weapon, payload, factory-production or future order count inherited.
HondurasAir Force exact named equipment holdings: Hughes 500. Active, operational-reserve and training units excluding equipment in store; November 2025 IISS assessment. Named service only; no parent-force or national total inferred. Source role: HELICOPTERS / MRH. Original estimates, ranges, reporting names, reserve, lease and employment scopes retained; nested included counts are not added. Missile-system quantities mean launchers, not rounds. No readiness, crew, carried weapon, payload, factory-production or future order count inherited.
ItalyReported count for MD 500 · NH-500M. Service scope: Air Force; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct quantity component(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Explicit source inventory scope: active; no other stock status or total inferred. Count column(s): in service: 37. Origin: USA Italy. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. Dates are the count-cell citations' stated source period (2026), not the article revision. 2026 cited source edition. Edition or publication years do not claim an exact inventory census day.
North KoreaReported count for MD Helicopters MD 500 · D. Service scope: Korean People's Army Air Force; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct count cell(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Excludes retired/reserve/on-order rows. Count column(s): in service: 84. Origin: United States. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. Dates are the count-cell citations' stated source period (2025), not the article revision. 2025 cited source edition. Edition or publication years do not claim an exact inventory census day.
PanamaDated directory active-fleet estimate for MD500, grouped under MD Helicopters MD 500. Only the explicitly listed service/role Active cells are included. Ordered, stored and upgrade aircraft are excluded. This is the directory coverage of these source types, not a national total, complete owned-fleet census or readiness count.
PhilippinesDated directory active-fleet estimate for MD500, grouped under MD Helicopters MD 500. Only the explicitly listed service/role Active cells are included. Ordered, stored and upgrade aircraft are excluded. This is the directory coverage of these source types, not a national total, complete owned-fleet census or readiness count.
Saudi ArabiaNational Guard exact named equipment holdings: MD530F (trg role). Active, operational-reserve and training units excluding equipment in store; November 2025 IISS assessment. Named service only; no parent-force or national total inferred. Source role: HELICOPTERS / MRH. Original estimates, ranges, reporting names, reserve, lease and employment scopes retained; nested included counts are not added. Missile-system quantities mean launchers, not rounds. No readiness, crew, carried weapon, payload, factory-production or future order count inherited.
South KoreaArmy exact named equipment holdings: Hughes 500D. Active, operational-reserve and training units excluding equipment in store; November 2025 IISS assessment. Named service only; no parent-force or national total inferred. Source role: HELICOPTERS / MRH. Original estimates, ranges, reporting names, reserve, lease and employment scopes retained; nested included counts are not added. Missile-system quantities mean launchers, not rounds. No readiness, crew, carried weapon, payload, factory-production or future order count inherited.
TaiwanDirectory active-fleet estimate for the source types MD500, grouped under MD Helicopters MD 500. Sums only the listed service and role rows; includes training and special-mission versions where explicitly listed. Excludes the separate Ordered column, aircraft in storage, aircraft undergoing or awaiting upgrades, and the directory's other exclusions. This is the dated directory coverage of these types, not a complete owned-fleet census or a readiness count.
Reported count for MD 500 · MD-530F. Service scope: Azerbaijani Air Forces; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct count cell(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Retired, wholly reserve and on-order rows are excluded; the reported count retains any explicitly mixed stock scope in the quoted row. Count column(s): in service: 1. Origin: United States. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. Dates are the count-cell citations' stated source period (2024), not the article revision. 2024 cited source edition. Edition or publication years do not claim an exact inventory census day.
Reported count for MD 500D / MD 500E. Service scope: Army Aviation; does not replace a national total. 2 distinct quantity component(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Explicit source inventory scope: active; no other stock status or total inferred. Count column(s): operational: 2 / operational: 5. Origin: United States. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. The components do not establish one inventory census date; the stored date is the retrieved source snapshot.
Reported count for MD 500D / MD 500E. Service scope: Army Aviation; does not replace a national total. 2 distinct count cell(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Excludes retired/reserve/on-order rows. Count column(s): operational: 2 / operational: 5. Origin: United States. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. The components do not establish one inventory census date; the stored date is the retrieved source snapshot.
Reported count for MD 500 · NH-500M. Service scope: Air Force; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct count cell(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Retired, wholly reserve and on-order rows are excluded; the reported count retains any explicitly mixed stock scope in the quoted row. Count column(s): in service: 37. Origin: USA Italy. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. Dates are the count-cell citations' stated source period (2026), not the article revision. 2026 cited source edition. Edition or publication years do not claim an exact inventory census day.