Eurocopter's Spanish division will not make a decision on the location of a final-assembly line for the Spanish army's Tiger multirole helicopter until late this year, despite claims by several candidate cities. Eurocopter España Tiger programme manager Luiís Arizon says there are "several months" of deliberations left between the sites, and that the company will announce its decision "before the end of the year".
Spain's defence ministry concluded a deal late last year to acquire 24 Tigers in the multirole HAD configuration to meet its combat and support helicopter requirement. Initial plans called for local production and deliveries during 2007-8, but Eurocopter said at last month's ILA air show in Berlin that Spain will receive an initial four Tigers without the HAD variant's uprated MTU Turbomeca Rolls-Royce MTR390 engines. Three of these will be delivered this year.
Eurocopter España has negotiated agreements with a number of Spanish suppliers, and expects to become the "third pillar" of Tiger export production. It is unclear, however, how many Spanish aircraft will be assembled in the country, as facilities may take about two years to be completed and equipped once a selection is made.
Local authorities in the southern city of Albacete are expected to increase pressure on Eurocopter to establish its assembly line at Albacete airbase, countering the central government's stated preference for a site in airfield-less Ciudad Real. Eurocopter's Spanish headquarters in Cuatro Vientos, near Madrid, currently produces rear fuselage sections for the EC135 and Tiger programmes.
JUSTIN WASTNAGE / LONDON
Source: Flight International
