PAUL LEWIS / STRATFORD, CONNECTICUT
As Europeans make in-roads, domestic market should be off-limits to competitors, manufacturer tells government
Sikorsky president Dean Borgman has called for the US government to consider measures to protect the US helicopter industry from foreign competition. Without protection, in particular in the domestic military market, he says the USA risks a further contraction in its strategic industrial base.
"As we see support within the US Congress for dropping the Buy American Act, maybe we ought to rethink that and consider doing what has been done to the US shipbuilding industry, which is to put it off limits to foreign competition," Borgman says.
The US helicopter industry has lost considerable home ground in recent years, particularly to newer civil helicopter designs produced by Eurocopter. While the damage has been mainly confined to the Bell family of machines, Sikorsky is being challenged in its traditional US military market by the EH Industries EH101, dubbed the US101 for the USA, and potentially by the NH Industries NH90.
The next major hurdle is the emerging US requirement for a new machine to provide combat search and rescue for the US Air Force and presidential transport for the US Marine Corps. Sikorsky is keen to offer its privately developed S-92, but faces competition from the US101. The latter's manufacturer, AgustaWestland, has entered into partnership with system integrator Lockheed Martin and is seeking a second local manufacturing contractor to support their planned US101 offering.
Sikorsky is also feeling the pressure overseas, losing major campaigns in Denmark and Portugal to the EH101 and facing competition in Canada from both EHI and NHI. "You now run into a really interesting situation. Take the 101, which is clearly not an American product but is painted over: is the Defence Security Cooperation Agency now going to be in a position where they are offering and supporting the EH101 to our allies?" asks Borgman.
The dilemma for Sikorsky is that, while it wants protection for its domestic sales, it also relies on easy access to foreign military markets - which, Borgman admits, were at one time sustaining the entire UH-60 Black Hawk line. "I understand the dichotomy and inconsistency here, but it's something we all need to think about. I want them to understand the impact on industry in the long term. I don't know the answer; I'm just pointing out the dangers," says Borgman.
Source: Flight International
