Honeywell senses an opportunity to partner with Japanese aerospace firms as they seek to boost their export footprint.
Mark Burgess, head of the company’s defence aerospace business in the region, notes that Honeywell has a significant amount of content on local platforms such as the Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol aircraft, C-2 tactical transport, and Shinmaywa US-2 amphibian.
Honeywell provides several systems on the P-1 and C-2, where Burgess says Honeywell is the largest foreign original equipment manufacturer. Key systems the US firm is involved with are the auxiliary power units, cabin pressure system, traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS), and others.
“We have about $4.1 million of content aboard every P-1 aircraft,” he says.
He adds that while Japanese aircraft are very capable as platforms, Japanese industry needs to recognise that sales to foreign militaries are more about a complete, long-term solution, as opposed to selling a product.
Kawasaki has said that several countries have expressed interest in learning more about both the P-1 and C-2, which it is offering to the international market following an easing of defence equipment export restrictions by Tokyo.
ShinMaywa, for its part, hopes to sell the US-2 to India, although this long discussed sale has yet to materialise.
The key area where Honeywell can help, says Burgess, is sustainment. He feels the company is well situated to help with this given its international support network.
Burgess adds that Japan is the company’s biggest defence market outside the US, and that it has recently beefed up its local team with the addition of a country manager.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
