Daimler-Benz Aerospace (Dasa) is planning to demonstrate the Euromissile HOT 3 anti-tank missile in Poland, in the hope of pushing its way into the PZL-Swidnik Huzar attack helicopter weapons and avionics competition.
The Huzar project has been surrounded by controversy since the Government launched investigations into the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Israel, awarding the missile and avionics contracts to a consortium of Elbit, El-Op and Rafael after a contest with Boeing. Since the discovery of apparent "irregularities" in the agreement and a confidential defence ministry report questioning the capabilities of Rafael's new NT-D anti-tank missile, the Warsaw Government has raised the possibility of cancelling the tender and re-opening the bidding.
Helmut Brinda, general manager of Dasa's Warsaw office, says that the German company wants to carry out firings in Poland from a Eurocopter BO105 or Aerospatiale Gazelle helicopter "in the next few months". Euromissile is a 50:50 joint venture between Dasa missiles subsidiary LFK and Aerospatiale Missiles.
Dasa says that it is also offering the HOT 3 for ground based Polish army units. The company says that Euromissile has made an offer to Poland of licensed production of the missile at the Mesko factory, as has Rafael with the NT-D.
With a 4km (2nm) range, the HOT missile falls short of Poland's formal 6km requirement, although questions have been raised among Polish observers as to whether this requirement is unnecessarily high. Dasa says:"Range extensions are feasible and their technical implementation could be achieved in collaboration with Mesko."
Source: Flight International