Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Douglas Barrie/LONDON
Canada is expected to issue a statement of requirement for its shipborne helicopter during 1998, after its decision to procure the EH Industries EH101 Cormorant for its 15-aircraft search-and-rescue (SAR) requirement.
The AW520 commercial version of the EH101 was chosen over Boeing's CH-47 Chinook, Eurocopter's AS532 Cougar Mk2 and Sikorsky's UH-60 Maplehawk. An engine selection between the baseline General Electric T700/6A1 and the Rolls Royce/Turboméca RTM-332 has yet to be made.
Art Eggleton, Canada's defence minister, says that the Cormorant now has the edge in the forthcoming competition for the shipborne helicopter, for which Eurocopter is likely again to offer the Cougar, and Sikorsky the SH-60 Seahawk.
The Canadian armed forces operates Sea Kings in the shipborne helicopter role, but the ageing aircraft's lack of availability is proving an increasing concern, say programme sources.
Contract signature between EH Industries and the Government is expected during the second quarter of 1998. EH Industries will be awarded a maximum of C$593 million ($416 million) for the 15 Cormorants. A further C$200 million has been earmarked to cover Government costs.
Canada's Department of National Defence (DND) says that this represents a saving of 40% over the C$1.3 billion cost of 15 SAR helicopters under the original EH101 contract, which was cancelled in 1993. Even including cancellation costs, the Cormorants are 30% cheaper than the SAREH101s, the DND says.
Canada's C$5.8 billion programme to acquire 50 EH101s was also cancelled in 1993, when almost C$480 million in cancellation costs were paid. The SAR specification was then revised to reduce the operational requirements by 15%.
Deliveries will begin in mid-2000 and be completed in 2002. The Cormorants will replace 13 Boeing Labradors. EH Industries is to provide Canada with industrial and regional benefits of C$550 million over eight years.
Team Cormorant (Bombardier, Bristol Aerospace and Canadian Helicopter) may offer a Cormorant variant for the C$2 billion shipborne-helicopter programme.
Source: Flight International
