FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1984
1984 - 1020.PDF
DEFENCE Tying down the Kangaroo CANBERRA Competition to supply the Royal Australian Navy with a new anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter is now at its most intense, and the result, due to be announced this month, looks set to determine future contracts to supply- Australia's other services with new helicopters. Although Westland and Sikorsky are the only competitors for the RAN contract, Aerospatiale has joined them in stepping up efforts to secure future contracts. There are two of these in the military field: the Royal Australian Air Force requires a replacement utility helicopter, and the Australian Army needs a new ground- support machine. All three companies have proposed extensive industrial offset programmes in a bid to get a firm foothold on the Australian market. It now looks as if the various offset proposals will play a decisive role in securing all three contracts. Westland, offering Lynx 3 for the RAN contract, has been particularly active over the last fortnight. The company last week signed a Memorandum of Under standing (MoU) with the Australian Aircraft Con sortium (ACC) to set up a joint company to promote, sell, and build the A.20 Wamira II tandem-seat basic trainer in Europe. The A.20 is one of the final four aircraft shortlisted by the Royal Air Force to replace the Jet Provost basic trainer. The MoU signing follows a reverse proposal made by Westland in the preceding week, offering the AAC a 20 per cent share in the pro duction of the Westland 30 passenger/troop transport helicopter. If agreed, the contract would be worth an estimated £570 million. Westland has urged the Australian Government to loan the AAC A$42 million (£27-1 million) to fund the deal. Westland is offering the Westland 30 for the RAAF and the Australian Army contracts. Last week Sikorsky signed an agreement with Australia's Commonwealth Aircraft . , i ••.. •• ••• • • • The RAAF is to receive 18 Aerospatiale AS.350 Squirrels this year, and the RAN six Corporation (CAC), proposing joint development of an MH-53E Super Stallion mine-countermeasures main tenance trainer. If taken up, the CAC will design and build the trainer under the terms of a A$10 million (£6-45 million) contract. In April, Sikorsky awarded Hawker de Havilland of Sydney a A$2 million (£1-3 million) contract to build the auxiliary wings and upper and lower stabilisers for its second S-72 "X-wing" rotor systems research aircraft. Sikorsky is offering the SH-60 Seahawk for the RAN contract and the UH-60 Black Hawk for the RAAF and Army require ments. Aerospatiale, whose Dau phin 2 helicopter failed to reach the shortlist for the RAN contract, is nevertheless making a concerted effort to secure the remaining two. The company is offering the AS.332 Super Puma and has courted local industry with offset proposals. Hawker de Havilland pro duces Dauphin parts already, and CAC supplies mechanical parts for Aerospatiale's twin- engined Squirrel. Talks are in progress to place more work with local industry, says Jean-Paul Bernadet, commercial director of Aero spatiale's helicopter division. But it seems likely that commonality of equipment in all three Services will be another decisive factor in RAAF and Army contracts. If so, Sikorsky and Westland will obviously be better placed to compete. Sikorsky's Sea- hawk is a derivative of the Black Hawk, and both the Westland 30 and the Lynx 3 have basically the same dynamic system. If commonality is the order of the day, Aerospatiale will be disadvantaged in its bid for future contracts. But the company is currently supply ing the RAN and RAAF with AS.350 Ecureuil (Squirrel) light helicopters, and so has a strong presence in Australia despite being out of the running for the latest RAN contract. Value of the 24-aircraft contract is A$18-l million (£11 • 7 million), according to Defence Minister Gordon Scholes. But the total project, which includes spares, ground equipment and support, is worth A$35 million (£22-6 million). US to arm China WASHINGTON D.C. ~ Talks between China's Defence Minister, Zhang Aiping, and Caspar Wein berger in Washington have reportedly led to an initial agreement to sell US air- defence and anti-armour missile systems to China. Systems involved are Hughes BGM-71A TOW anti-tank missiles and Raytheon MIM-23B Hawk surface-to-air missiles. US Defence Department sources claim TOW missiles may be built in China at a later date under a licence agreement. Official announcement of the deal is not expected until Congress has been notified. RN buys Javelin SAM BELFAST The Royal Navy has ordered Shorts Javelin manportable surface-to-air missiles to defend naval vessels against kamikaze-type attacks by low-flying aircraft. Javelin's predecessor, Blowpipe, was fired from the deck of Royal Navy ships during the Falklands conflict. Javelin's semi-automatic command guidance makes it easier to aim than Blowpipe and does not rely on aircraft infrared emission as does Stinger. The missile can engage all types of target, regardless of their heat signature, which is particularly useful when defending ships against a low- infrared head-on attacker, argues Shorts. With a range in excess of 5km, Javelin is able to destroy an attacker before it reaches the point of weapon release. No special ship fit is required. Javelin can be used on ships of all sizes and types, including merchant vessels^ says Shorts, and the missile' and its operator can be deployed by helicopter to the ship to be defended. Javelin is now entering service with the Royal Marines as a replacement for Blowpipe, and will also be supplied to the British Army. The missile is already in prod uction for overseas customers, reveals Shorts. 1598 FLIGHT International, 23 June 191
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
