MANUFACTURERS competing for a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) order for a new lead-in fighter trainer are playing down the significance of local assembly, and instead placing greater emphasis on costs and after-sales support.
The RAAF has a requirement for 35-45 aircraft as replacements for its aging fleet of Aermacchi MB.326H trainers. The air force has short-listed six contenders: the Aermacchi MB.339FD; Aero Vodochody L-59F; AMX International AMX-T; British Aerospace Hawk 100; Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet ATS; and the McDonnell Douglas T-45 Goshawk.
All six manufacturers are negotiating teaming with local firms to maximise Australian industry involvement. Aermacchi is the only one to have reached reach agreement, with Hawker de Havilland and Honeywell Australia.
All except Aero Vodochody are willing to assemble the aircraft locally. Senior executives concede privately, however, that local assembly is likely to prove too expensive.
Hawker de Havilland's tie-up with Aermacchi effectively leaves Aerospace Technologies of Australia (ASTA) as the only other company with the capability of producing the aircraft.
Australia's experience of assembly has not always proved cost-effective. The RAAF's locally built McDonnell Douglas F-18 fighters are estimated to have cost around 40% more than those produced in the USA. The RAAF says therefore that it is not prepared to pay a premium for producing replacement trainers locally.
Discussions have instead focused on the manufacture of avionics and components, system integration, design modification and providing airframe, engine and avionics through-life support.
It has been suggested that an Australian support capability could be used to cover other countries in the region. Neighboring Indonesia and Malaysia operate the Hawk 100/200 and it has been selected by Brunei.
The Hawk, the T-45, Alpha Jet ATS and the AMX-T are considered the more expensive of the types on offer. Accordingly, the makers are putting greater emphasis on life-cycle costs. They face competition from the makers of the lower-priced MB.339 and Czech L-59. Aermacchi is a favourite, given the RAAF's 30-year operational experience with the MB.326.
Source: Flight International
