Peter La Franchi/CANBERRA
The future of the Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF) Light Tactical Airlifter project will not be decided until at least October. The requirement is being re-evaluated as part of the development of a new defence white paper.
Budget papers released earlier this month reveal plans for a series of new studies which will consider scrapping the Air 5190 project in favour of an upgrade to the RAAF's de Havilland Canada Caribous.
The studies are also expected to consider the options of proceeding with the project, but using alternative financing strategies, or delaying the project and launching a new competition in the future with a revised specification. The studies are also expected to reconsider an option to buy additional Boeing CH-47 Chinook heavylift helicopters and Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules transports.
Budget papers state that the RAAF will "review the Australian Defence Force's tactical transport fleet, including the way ahead for the existing Caribou". Parallel studies will examine "life of type and supportability".
The studies contrast with a statement by defence minister John Moore last week, which said "activity continues on projects not yet to contract, including the Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft [and] Light Tactical Airlifter".
The project is nearly a year behind schedule after the Defence Source Selection Board delayed a choice between the Lockheed Martin Alenia Tactical Transport Systems (LMATTS) C-27J Spartan and the CASA C295.
A decision was expected in December, but was overtaken by a major review of all projects as part of an attempt to offset a looming defence budget shortfall.
Caribou upgrades would concentrate on re-engining and replacing avionics systems, which are becoming unsupportable due to age. The existing airframes are regarded as being in sound condition. Australia is understood to have received an unsolicited proposal from Tenix Defence Systems to perform an upgrade. Tenix is teamed with LMATTS for the Air 5190 project.
• The first production C-27J made its maiden flight from Alenia's Turin factory on 12 May. The first C-27J rolled out last year was a converted G222. The C-27J has new avionics and engines.
Source: Flight International
