Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC
Anglo-Italian AgustaWestland is looking to extend its teaming arrangement with Bell Helicopter Textron and Boeing in Canada to include promotion of the EH Industries EH101 in the US market. Closer ties on the helicopter could be used as a building block for broadening the three-way relationship to include new joint venture developments or even, eventually, a possible merger.
Recently formed AgustaWestland believes the success of the EH101 in the USA rests on finding local industrial partners to support the helicopter, and sources say this could serve as a "logical foundation to pursue other opportunities against a backdrop of consolidation in the helicopter industry".
The three companies are already linked by a series of programmes and partnerships: the Bell Agusta BA609 tiltrotor and AB139 helicopter, the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey military tiltrotor and the former Westland's manufacture of the Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopter under licence.
Bell and Boeing are also teamed with EH Industries to compete for Canada's Maritime Helicopter Programme with the EH101. The EH101 is being promoted to replace US Air Force Sikorsky HH-60Gs, US Navy Italy-based MH-53E vertical onboard delivery helicopters, US Marine Corps VH-3D presidential transports and for the US Coast Guard's Deepwater re-equipment programme.
AgustaWestland is looking to involve US industry at either a systems integration, logistical support, component manufacturing or final assembly level. The USAF may need up to 130 combat search-and-rescue helicopters which by itself would be sufficient to support an assembly line, says EH Industries. The US market could represent at least 280 EH101s in total.
The V-22 and the smaller BA609 could rival the EH101 for some applications, but a helicopter is considered financially and operationally more attractive than a tiltrotor for many roles.
Source: Flight International
