Australia eyes 2014-2016 IOC for Seahawk replacements

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Australia eyes 2014-2016 IOC for Seahawk replacements

July 01, 2009

Australia wants to achieve an initial operating capability with its replacement naval tactical helicopter between 2014 and 2016, but the project may not receive initial government funding approvals until as late as mid 2011 according to the country’s newly released defence capability plan (DCP).

The new DCP, issued 1 July, says first pass approval for 24 new naval helicopters is scheduled to occur between mid 2009 and mid 2011. That contrasts with advice issued 13 May as part of the latest Australian defence budget which stated the first pass approval would occur during the current calendar year.

First pass approval is the initial  agreement by government to advance a project into detailed scoping for potential procurement in the Australian defence purchasing system.

Formal government acquisition approvals - or what the Australian defence purchasing system calls “second pass” - is scheduled to occur between mid 2010 and mid 2012 says the new DCP.

The new aircraft will replace the Royal Australian Navy’s sixteen existing S-70B-2 aircraft, which are scheduled to be withdrawn from service by 2019.

The 24 aircraft buy is forecast by the new DCP to cost between AUD$500 million and AUD$1.5 billion.

The new DCP says that “in order to minimise technical, schedule and financial risks it is envisaged that a military off the shelf [MOTS] solution will be sourced from overseas. There may be some opportunity for Australian industry in aircraft assembly, and development of some support systems”.

It also indicates that Australia is likely to try and baseline the aircraft against another navy’s fleet: “The retention of an off the shelf configuration is considered important for cost effective Australian based deeper level maintenance, engineering and through life support”.

The new DCP confirms a second phase has been added to the existing RAN Seahawk capability assurance program (or SCAP) with this scheduled for government first and second pass approvals between mid 2010 and mid 2012.

The new SCAP 2 program “addresses obsolescence issues not covered under SCAP 1” says the DCP. This will include “replacement of the Seahawk’s main mission computer, the display generator unit”.

SCAP 1 is seeing replacement of tactical display units, engine control units, automatic flight control systems and identification friend or foe systems aboard the RAN aircraft. It is also replacing the aircraft mission system simulator.

The individual cost of each SCAP phase is projected by the new DCP to cost in the AUD$100-AUD$300 million range.

By Peter La Franchi, Adelaide

Source: http://www.shephard.co.uk/news/3240/australia-eyes-2014-2016-ioc-for-seahawk-replacements/