Kaman Air Vehicles, a division of Kaman Corporation (NYSE:KAMN), announced today that it has entered into a strategic distribution agreement with Trust International Group (“Trust International”) for the K-MAX® medium-to-heavy lift helicopter. This reseller agreement provides Trust International with exclusive rights to market the K-MAX® aircraft and its spare parts in the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”). Trust International is a major supplier of premium solutions to the UAE Armed Forces and security establishment.

“We have made significant inroads in marketing the K-MAX® to customers in North America, Europe and Asia. Our partnership with Trust International will open up new opportunities for us and expand our K-MAX® helicopter footprint to the Middle East. We look forward to bringing this proven aerial lift capability in manned and unmanned platforms to the UAE and other countries in the region,” stated Roger Wassmuth, Senior Director Business Development, Kaman Air Vehicles.

Trust International partners with industry leading companies to provide high-tech cutting-edge solutions to our customers. Their charter is not merely to sell products, but to foster collaboration between industry and government to produce improvements to the overall security and wellbeing of the UAE.

“We are pleased to partner with Trust International whose knowledge of the region will create new opportunities for the deployment of the K-MAX® in the Middle East. The K-MAX® continues to deliver proven efficiency and reliability internationally, and we are delighted to be able to offer this rapidly expanding capability to even more international customers,” stated Darlene Smith, VP & GM, Kaman Air Vehicles Division.

Development of the K-MAX® unmanned helicopter is moving rapidly for both commercial and military markets. Kaman recently won contracts for multiple unmanned kits from two companies that already operate the K-MAX® helicopter in a manned configuration. Commercial and military flight tests will be conducted in 2020 with commercial systems becoming available in 2021.

Development of the K-MAX® aircraft was led by Kaman founder and former CEO, aviation pioneer Charlie H. Kaman, and received Federal Aviation Administration certification in 1994. The K-MAX® is a rugged low-maintenance aircraft that features a counter-rotating rotor system and is optimized for cyclical, external load operations. The aircraft can lift up to 6,000 pounds (2,722 kg). The first unmanned helicopter was flown by Kaman in 1957.