This small and easy-to-handle helicopter, developed in the sixties, proved to be a big technical and commercial success. Its reliability and performance make it a valuable aircraft for civilian and military operators of at least fifty different nations. This particular version derives from the model 530 Defender and is in service with the U.S. Army Special Forces which use it for reconnaissance and night surveillance thanks to an infra-red night vision system, which together with the helicopter's low noise level make it a perfect and silent "Night Fox".