Ottawa's maritime helicopter choice could lead to court action as losing team complains about process
The selection of Sikorsky's H-92 to meet Canada's Maritime Helicopter Programme (MHP) requirement has prompted a controversy that could drag the selection process through the courts. The losing Team Cormorant is considering legal action, charging that the selection process was weighted against it, while the Toronto Globe and Mail claims Ottawa was forced to select the H-92 because Team Cormorant's AgustaWestland EH101 had been disqualified on technical grounds.
Team Cormorant has for the past few years alleged that government officials wanted to avoid political embarrassment by discounting the EH101 from the MHP contract, as Ottawa had paid a C$500 million ($380 million) cancellation fee after scrapping an earlier contract for the helicopter placed by a previous administration.
Announcing the decision on 23 July, defence minister Bill Graham said: "The government of Canada firmly believes that the Sikorsky H-92 represents the right helicopter for the Canadian Forces at the best price for Canadians." Ottawa had long said that the MHP contract would go to the lowest bidder - a factor which also worked against the larger and more expensive EH101. A Team Cormorant official in Ottawa refused to comment on the allegations.
The Canadian Forces is the first military customer to commit to the H-92, but a Sikorsky official in Ottawa says the company has a long history of building naval helicopters and that the H-92 will be able to outperform the Cormorant at a lower cost. The EH101 is already in military service in Italy and the UK, and in Canada, where it performs search-and-rescue duties.
The MHP award also may have a larger significance as the first selection in a string of international military competitions between the EH101, the H-92 and the NH Industries NH90, which Canada disqualified as non-compliant last December.
The EH101 and H-92 are also in a heated contest for the US Navy's VXX programme for the future presidential helicopter fleet. An even larger competition is just starting for the US Air Force's Personnel Recovery Vehicle combat search-and-rescue aircraft, which is expected to draw bids from all three types.
BRIAN DUNN / MONTREAL
Source: Flight International
