Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE
JAPANESE AEROSPACE companies are beginning to manoeuvre in anticipation of a Japan Ground Self-Defence Force (JGSDF) requirement for a new attack helicopter after 2000.
A new advanced attack helicopter (AH-X) is needed eventually to replace the JGSDF's fleet of Bell AH-1S Cobras, licence-built in Japan by Fuji.
Such a programme is expected to figure predominantly in the military's equipment wish list for the 2000-6 five-year plan.
Both Fuji and Kawasaki Heavy Industry have expressed interest in the programme and are looking at a range of possible options to offer. The final line-up of contenders will hinge on the JGSDF's yet-to-be defined requirements.
Fuji, having produced more than 80 AH-1S helicopters, is determined to preserve its position as the JGSDF's principal supplier of anti-tank helicopters, by "backing all horses", says a source.
It is offering three options, depending on the size of the military's budget and performance criteria. At the bottom end of the cost scale, Fuji is proposing a modified AH-1S, with an uprated engine and revamped fuselage.
The upgraded helicopter would not require any change to the JGSDF's existing operating and logistical-support system.
Slightly more expensive is a four-blade version of the twin-engined AH-1W SuperCobra, now in service with the US Marine Corps.
Fuji's third, and most expensive, AH-X solution centres on a locally built version of the McDonnell Douglas AH-64 Apache.
Kawasaki, at the same time, is keen to extend its OH-X scout-helicopter applications to include a light anti-tank version.
The OH-X's design has added margin for further growth, but within the limits of its transmission and rotor system, which cannot easily be changed.
Company officials concede that, if the JGSDF sets a requirement geared more towards an AH-64 or AH-1W type of performance and capability, the OH-X would not be a contender.The new AH-X helicopter would be expected to enter service in 2002/3.
Source: Flight International