Julian Moxon/Paris
Partner nations in the NH90 military helicopter programme are revising their procurement strategy in a bid to tackle budget constraints on the project.
Instead of two primary configurations of the NH90 - a tactical utility helicopter and a maritime version - NH Industries is now being asked to meet requirements for up to 13 different variants of the four-nation NH90.
The joint venture is preparing its proposals for the forthcoming industrialisation and initial production phase of the programme.
The revised procurement strategy replaces the original plan for two specific NH90 versions - the tactical transport helicopter (TTH) and naval frigate helicopter (NFH) - and introduces the idea of "kits on option", essentially a series of packages enabling countries to order versions better tailored to their own budget and equipment requirements.
France and Germany, for example, want pricing for "naval utility" versions which, in the case of France, would incorporate the 16 troop seats and rear ramp from the TTH version to create a shipborne transport helicopter capable of replacing the ageing Aerospatiale Super Frelons still in service.
Under current production plans, these would be bought alongside the full mission NFHs originally envisaged. Germany and Italy are discussing a common combat search and rescue helicopter, while Germany wants an air force VIP version.
"We're looking at a modular approach now," says NHI, "which allows our customers to cut costs and better customise their helicopters. It also will enable a wider range of export possibilities."
If the production contract goes ahead, the first of up to 647 NH90s will be delivered to the Netherlands and Germany in 2003.
In May, the partner countries - France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands - indicated that they would go ahead with investment in production tooling for the NH90 and would fund an initial production batch of 151 machines, with guarantees for follow-on batches.
It is now clear that budget constraints have driven the governments to ask NHI to develop a range of NH90 options not previously planned.
On 15 July, NHI will submit its initial pricing proposals to the NATO helicopter management agency NAEHMA, which represents the customer governments, in the hope of signing the production memorandum of understanding by the end of March 1999 and the final contract the following June, "hopefully at the Paris air show", says NHI.
The first version of the NH90, equipped with a digital flight control system (FCS), was due to fly on 29 June, beginning a test programme likely to last a year and cover 150h of flying time.
The second of five NH90 prototypes has been flying with an analogue FCS for several months: this is the backup to the main fly-by-wire system and provides only limited control authority. The digital system will enable testing of the full flight envelope.
Source: Flight International