Companies are targeting competitions for equipment to meet homeland security and military requirements
European manufacturers have launched a concerted effort to break into the US helicopter market, pursuing emerging homeland security and military requirements. Hard on the heels of Agusta-Westland's announcement that it is moving A119 turbine-single assembly to the USA, Bell/Agusta Aerospace unveiled plans to begin assembling the AB139 medium- twin in Amarillo, Texas.
Amarillo has also been selected by the AgustaWestland Bell joint venture as the assembly site for the US101. Kaman Aerospace, meanwhile, has been selected to supply sheet-metal and composite fuselage subassemblies for the US-built version of the EH101, for which AgustaWestland sees a market for more than 200 helicopters.
Bell's Amarillo plant was established to build V-22 military and BA609 civil tiltrotors, and will also house H-1 remanufacturing for the US Marine Corps. US certification of the AB139 is scheduled for mid-year, and the first US-assembled aircraft will be delivered in the first quarter of 2006. The Italian and US lines will have a combined capacity of 50 aircraft a year.
AgustaWestland, which plans to assemble 20 A119s a year at its Philadelphia, Pennsylvania plant, intends to propose the aircraft to meet the US Army's new light utility helicopter (LUH) requirement. The company is also talking to US prime contractors about offering the A129 International to meet the US Army's light reconnaissance helicopter (LRH) requirement.
Eurocopter will deliver the first AS350 turbine-single assembled at its Columbus, Mississippi plant by year-end. The company is targeting the US law-enforcement market, including border-patrol requirements for up to 115 light singles. The company is also eyeing the LUH and LRH contests, although its Tiger is considered a "long shot" for the reconnaissance requirement.
Turbomeca USA in Grand Prairie, Texas was responsible for half of all Arriel turboshaft production last year, and will assemble the Arriel 2C2-CG selected to re-engine US Coast Guard Eurocopter HH-65s. The requirement is for almost 200 engines and Eurocopter will perform the engineering work at its Mississippi plant.
Rolls-Royce and Turbomeca, meanwhile, are proposing to assemble the RTM322 turboshaft in the USA as the CTS322. The engine is a candidate to re-engine US Army special-operations Sikorsky MH-60s and to power the US Air Force's Personnel Recovery Vehicle, for which the Lockheed Martin US101 and Sikorsky S-92 are the likely contenders.
Source: Flight International
