The Australian Army plans to issue a request for proposals (RFP) by May for Phase II of its Air 87 programme to replace six Bell UH-1H Iroquois and 43 Bell 206 Kiowas with a common type. Manufacturers will have "three to four" months to respond.
Speaking at a Shephard Conferences Fighter Helicopter meeting in London on 26-27 January, Lt Col Leo O'Reilly, deputy director of Army Aviation, said that its latest recommendation is that the originally planned invitation to bidders to register interest is expected to be superseded by issue of a full RFP before the details of the federal budget are announced in May.
This will allow more-detailed figures to be presented before the Government's expected endorsement of Phase II this year. A shortlist of "three to five" bidders would lead to a request for tenders in April 1999, contract signing in "around 2000" and first delivery in 2003.
O'Reilly says that, although no decision has been made, "I am recommending-the purchase of purpose-built attack helicopters", rather than another option which would involve bolting weaponry on to Sikorsky S-70s, and acquiring more "widebodied" helicopters for fire-support and reconnaissance.
Source: Flight International
