The AH-125 and MH-125 Ares helicopters are being offered to the international market as two distinct platforms that share a common heritage with the M125M. (Airbus)

Airbus in the US is pitching the multimission capabilities of its AH-125 and MH-125 Ares light attack and utility helicopters as the chief differentiator to competing solutions on the international market.

Speaking to Janes and other defence media at the Paris Air Show 2023, Scott Tumpak, vice-president of military line of business at Airbus US Space & Defense, said that while other single-engined helicopters in the same class already exist and are in service around the world, the ability of the AH-125 and MH-125 to be quickly reconfigured between missions is what will set them apart in the global market.

US Pentagon officials unveiled changes to improve the arms sales process. (Getty Images)

The US Department of Defense (DoD) plans to establish a Defense Security Cooperation Service to improve training for personnel who facilitate Foreign Military Sales (FMS), the Pentagon announced on 13 June.

Requests to buy US weapon systems sometimes get bogged down because they do not clearly state what a country wants, or they ask for something the US cannot provide, said Sasha Baker, deputy undersecretary of defence for policy. The new service will teach security co-operation officers how to help allies and partners develop requests that are more likely to receive approval.

“We know we need to improve the department's front end understanding of ally and partner requirements,” Baker told reporters. “In other words, if we put good information into the system at the front, we know it's more likely to result in a positive outcome on the back end.”

The new agreement between New Zealand and Fiji provides a framework for growing bilateral defence ties. In April New Zealand's first P-8A Poseidon maritime reconnaissance aircraft was deployed to the South Pacific country in operational trials. (New Zealand Defence Force)

New Zealand and Fiji have signed a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) to strengthen defence ties. The agreement is seen as a response to rising tension in the South Pacific.

The SOFA was signed in Fiji by New Zealand Defence Minister Andrew Little and Fiji's Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration Pio Tikoduadua.

An accompanying statement of intent said defence co-operation would focus on areas including military training, maritime security, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR).

Little said the agreement will allow the two countries' armed forces to co-operate on each other's territories as they seek to partner on addressing regional security threats including climate change.

“The SOFA is a legal framework for the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) for closer co-operation within each other's territories,” Little said.