Peter La Franchi/CANBERRA
Continuing uncertainty surrounding the Australian Department of Defence's forward aerospace development strategy has seen a deferral of a funding request for the purchase of 12 additional Sikorsky S-70 Black Hawk helicopters from this week's Australian defence budget.
The Australian DoD has also decided not to seek funding approval for the midlife upgrade of Royal Australian Navy Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawks to 2004, or two years later than the previous forward plan provided to the Australian Senate in April (Flight International, 8-14 May).
Details of the revised plan were released to defence and aerospace industry representatives at a briefing in Canberra on 11 May. This followed the release of details of the Australian Defence Force's total capability plan to 2011 by the Australian Senate's Defence, Foreign Affairs and Trade Standing Committee in mid-April.
The 11 May briefing reiterated plans to seek approval for Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned air vehicles in 2004-2005. It reveals that the Australian Cabinet will be given an initial briefing on the proposed acquisition, designated Joint Project 2062, during the last three months of the year under Australia's new "two pass" defence project approvals system.
A second round of cabinet discussion on the project is set for mid-2003 and funding approval for May 2004. The RAAF wants Global Hawk to enter operational service in 2007.
Briefing data indicates that Australia intends to proceed with the development of a common ground station environment for Global Hawk and the Joint Project 129 tactical UAV. A prototype station, developed by the Australian Defence Science and Technology Organisation, is supporting a Global Hawk trial in Australia that started in late April.
Deferral of an extra Black Hawk order lowers the value of the aerospace related approvals expected in this week's defence budget, to be released on 22 May, by as much as A$500 million ($255 million). The value of aerospace-related projects being considered for approval total A$1.49-3.07 billion.
Data released by the Australian DoD at the 11 May briefing indicates that the delay in seeking approvals for the follow-on Black Hawk buy - designated Project Air 5046 Phase 5/6 - is in part intended to allow time for studying increased commonality across the ADF helicopter fleet.
Source: Flight International
