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Australian FMS records reveal major helicopter spares buy
The Australian Department of Defence has spent at least A$96.43 million on spares and operational upgrades for its United States-sourced military helicopters since the start of January 2005 using the US foreign military sales system.
Almost half the spend has been in support of the rapid upgrade and operational maintenance of the Australian Army’s Boeing CH-47D Chinook helicopters, with Australian government FMS purchasing records identifying ten separate FMS contracts since 2005 worth a total of A$43.62 million. These include three separate awards totalling A$4.69 million supporting engine replacement for the type between October 2005 and March this year.
A related purchase of the US Army’s standard ‘air warrior’ helicopter aircrew ensemble for use by Australian CH-47D pilots saw two contracts totalling A$638,107. An initial order was placed in February 2006 with deliveries completed in July of that same year to support operational deployment of Australian Chinook aircraft to Afghanistan. The second order was placed in November 2007 with deliveries completing in February this year.
Sustainment and spares for the Australian Army’s Sikorsky S-70A-9 Black Hawk helicopters accounts for A$35.72 million of the total via eleven separate contract awards. These include four awards totalling A$5.63 million for the upgrade of the Black Hawk’s electronic data management system with deliveries scheduled to complete in June this year.
Another A$11.72 million was spent on generic spares for the Black Hawks and the Royal Australian Navy’s Sikorsky S-70B-2 Seahawk and Westland Mk50A Sea King helicopters.
The purchasing records confirm acquisition of fast roping and extraction systems for the RAN Seahawks with an A$207,138 deal placed in June 2007 and finalised by June 2008.
Spares purchases for the Australian Army’s Boeing Kiowa helicopters totalled 3.04 million with three separate contracts placed during 2008 an deliveries due to complete by June 2011.
Final spares purchases for the Army’s now retired Bell UH-1 Iroquois helicopters totalled A$639,206 between March 2005 and June 2008.
Australian government purchasing records indicate the total value of FMS purchasing by the Australian DoD between CY2005 and the current month reached $A3.12 billion. However the Australian DoD can sometimes take up to three years to declare FMS contract awards, meaning that figure could be higher.
By Peter La Franchi / Canberra
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