Avalon 2011: Australia considers contenders for naval helicopter requirement

The Australian Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) has submitted its recommendations to the Department of Defence (DoD) for its naval helicopter replacement programme with a final decision expected in June, industry sources have told Rotorhub.com.

The Air 9000 Phase 8 'Future Naval Aviation Combat System' programme, which has seen Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky's 'Team Romeo' MH-60R  competing against Australia Aerospace's MHR-90, is designed to replace the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN) S-70B-2 Seahawks with a total of 24 airframes and follows the cancellation of the earlier SH-2G(A) Seasprite procurement.

'Evaluation is done and the government budget is due in the first week of May. So a decision is expected in June,' one source explained. The total programme is understood to be worth around AUS$1.5 billion. It is envisaged that at least eight of the selected helicopters will be operational at any one time, exclusive of training fleets and airframes undergoing maintenance and repairs.

Both competing helicopters are being exhibited at the Avalon Australian International Airshow in Geelong from 1-6 March. 

The US Navy's USS Shoup DDG-86 also stopped in Melbourne on route back to the US, complete with two MH-60R helicopters.

US Navy pilots told Rotorhub.com that during the six-month rotation the helicopters had flown every day on missions encompassing both anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare payloads. Such operations included tracking of submarines in Guam as well as counter-piracy operations off the Somalia coast and in the Gulf of Aden.

Lockheed Martin Director for Naval Helicopter Programs George Barton, said Team Romeo was 'ready to execute' should the Australian government select the MH-60R.

This, he said, could include a proposed project to integrate the helicopter's tactical data link into RAN ANZAC-class frigates in order to provide an 'advanced network centric warfare capability'. He said such a concept could also be rolled onto landing helicopter dock and air warfare destroyer ships.

However, Australian Aerospace chief executive officer Dr Jens Goennemann argued there was 'compelling evidence as to why [MRH-90] was a superior helicopter' for the RAN requirement.

Goennemann explained how a crew of four could convert the helicopter from an anti-submarine warfare platform into a troop carrying or utility variant for ship boarding operations. 'Ninety per cent of the time, a helicopter is used as a truck and not for anti-submarine warfare,' he said.

Referring to the much-publicised engine problems of the MRH-90, Goennemann said such issues illustrated how Australian Aerospace was a 'credible partner for the Australian Defence Force to work through difficult problems with'.