RYSZARD JAXA-MALACHOWSKI / WARSAW
Local manufacturer makes late bid to tempt air force to change its mind over EADS Casa C295M selection
PZL-Mielec has offered the Polish air force 10 Antonov An-32Ms at $15 million each in an attempt to overturn the selection of the EADSCasa C295M earlier this year.
Negotiations between the Polish defence ministry and EADS have been under way for some time. The deal is complicated by the privatisation of another Polish aerospace company, PZL-Okecie, which EADS is negotiating to buy.
PZL-Mielec is teamed with design bureau Antonov and the Aviat aircraft factory. The An-32M would be equipped with Pratt &Whitney Canada PW150A turboprops driving Dowty propellers in place of Ukrainian-built ZMKB Progress AI20D-5Ms. The Polish air force would be able to chose the avionics package, but it would come from a Western supplier. The aircraft would also be certificated to European commercial JAR25 airworthiness requirements.
Certification flight testing would be done in Poland by PZL-Mielec in conjunction with civil and military authorities, which would also participate in the avionics integration.
First flight of an An-32M would be two years after a Polish order, with Antonov and Aviat willing to supply two standard An-32s as a stop-gap. These would be upgraded to allow them to operate in international airspace. The transports would replace Antonov An-26s.
It is unclear what impact the sacking of former deputy defence minister Romuald Szeremietiew has made on the contract negotiations. Szeremietiew was a supporter of the EADS deal.
Source: Flight International
