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Aviation History
1990
1990 - 3773.PDF
Ecureuil could lead French push in Japanese market Aerospatiale studies Japanese assembly BY GILBERT SEDBON IN PARIS Aerospatiale is studying a plan to set up a civil heli copter assembly line in Japan in co-operation with four Japanese companies, including its two in-country agents, Nozaki and Sony Trading. The French company, whose helicopter sales in Japan have soared to 350 in the last two years, is considering the assem bly of the Ecureuil helicopter in a first phase, but other helicop ters such as the Super Puma could follow at a later stage. Aerospatiale says that no final , decision on the project has been taken yet. The French aerospace com pany, which is planning to set up a helicopter-pilot training school in Japan, is trying hard to break into the Japanese mili tary helicopter market, so far with no success. Aerospatiale is also joining MBB's helicopter subsidiary in Turkey, MBB Kutlutas, to com pete in a Turkish defence minis try requirement for some 200 helicopters. Aerospatiale, through Kutlu tas, is tendering its AS.532UC Cougar helicopter, and MBB Kutlutas is offering its BK.117. They will be competing against Agusta's AB.412HP and Sikorsky's S-70 Black Hawk. MBB and Aerospatiale will be merging activities in the next few months, under the Euro- copter name, to market their helicopters worldwide. D Finns get new Gripen offer The Swedish JAS consortium of Saab, Volvo Flygmotor, FFV and LM Ericsson has of fered Finland an extensive in dustrial co-operation package in a bid to get the JAS39 Gripen selected for the Finnish Air Force fighter replacement pro gramme. "We are willing to make large-scale reciprocal purchases from Finnish industry in addi tion to sub-contracting final as sembly of the Gripen to Finnish aviation companies," says Saab Scania president Georg Karnsund. The Swedish pro posal would spread the offset payment over ten years with state-owned Valmet Aviation as its primary Finnish partner. A subcontract deal, linked to a decision in favour of JAS, could be worth up to FM5 billion (Si.25 billion) for Valmet's under-utilised aircraft division. The JAS consortium's deci sion to sweeten its original off set offer is prompted by a desire to find export markets as it grapples with the dual predica ment of production delays and uncertain Swedish funding. It is also prompted by intensive lob bying by rivals General Dynam ics and Dassault. Valmet had anticipated it would secure a 15% share of the total offset value from any fighter deal. The JAS proposal would give the company a 50% share with additional spin-off sub-contract work offered by the Swedish companies. Saab-Scania has indicated that Valmet could assemble fuselages for Gripens ordered by the Swedish as well as Finnish air forces. The contract would also include radar and other high- technology component con struction. Karnsund said the industrial co-operation package would in volve Valmet in sub-contract aviation work outside the fighter programme, including building McDonnell Douglas MD-80 parts and components for aircraft built by Saab. D Apache faces production dilemma The US Army says the McDonnell Douglas Heli copter (MDH) Apache produc tion line will almost certainly suffer a production break fol lowing the stretch-out of the Longbow Apache programme. RMAF seeks simulators after Hawk deal The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) is seeking to procure simulators for its newly ordered fleet of 28 British Aero space Hawk aircraft. Requests for proposals are set to be is sued shortly. The RMAF signed a £400 million-plus (Ringgit 2 billion) contract with BAe in Kuala Lumpur on 10 December for ten two-seat Hawk 100 advanced jet trainer/attack aircraft and 18 single-seat APG-66H radar- equipped Hawk 200 fighters. The first simulator to be pur chased will be for the Hawk 200, with Hawk 100 pilots training in the two-seat aircraft. The acquisition of a second simulator, for the Hawk 100, is likely to be tied to a Hawk purchase by regional neighbour Brunei, and the simulator would be shared by the two countries. Rediffusion Simulation and Link-Miles are the likely con tenders to supply the simula tors. The purchase of 16 Hawks, probably eight 100s and eight single-seat200s, for the Royal Brunei Armed Forces was cov ered under the 1989 UK-Brunei defence protocol, but a contract has yet to be signed. Officials indicate that, with the Malaysian signing, "...things are expected to move pretty soon with Brunei". An early 1*991 signing is likely. The RMAF Hawk 100 ac ceptance is scheduled for Oc tober 1993, with first delivery in January 1994. This will be fol lowed by the first Hawk 200 in July 1994. The contract has been ne gotiated within the framework of the September 1988 memo randum of understanding be tween Malaysia and the,UK and includes an offset programme to be implemented over 20' years. The Hawks will be used to replace the RMAF's 31 A-4PTM Skyhawks and six TA-4PTMs. D The Army projects a "worst case" suspension of 20 months but adds that foreign military sales could close the gap. The problem will come after the last AH-64A delivery to the Army in December 1993 and the last FMS delivery in June 1994, leaving 20 months before the first Longbow delivery in April 1996. The Army says that a break of that length would cause a $400,000 increase in the Apache unit cost and would mean either a larger Congres sional appropriation or a smaller procurement than the planned 227. The UK and the Netherlands are also possible Apache cus tomers. Other FMS candidates include Saudi Arabia, Bahrein, the United Arab Emirates and Abu Dhabi — together with follow-on contracts for existing operators. MDH says it is hoping for up to 100 further sales in the com ing months, which would pro vide around 18 months' addi tional production. • FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 19 December, 1990 - 1 January, 1991 3
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