Manufacturer wants help in developing and exporting firefighting variant of amphibian
ShinMaywa Industries is lobbying the Japanese government for help in developing a firefighting variant of the US-1A Kai search-and-rescue amphibious aircraft.
The Japanese manufacturer has been studying expanding into the firefighting market for several years and last year met several operators as part of a market research study. It has determined there is a market for up to 200 firefighting versions of the US-1A Kai and earlier this year established a special firefighting research division with a team of engineers to pursue a concept design.
ShinMaywa is prepared to produce a firefighting variant of the US-1A Kai and is requesting government approval to export the aircraft after it lines up a launch customer. The manufacturer says it is confident the government will approve the sale of the aircraft outside Japan, despite a ban on the export of defence equipment, and is also keen to secure government funds to help cover the cost of further studies and development.
"Only ShinMaywa is doing market research and the concept design. We'd like in the future to make it a national Japan programme," says general manager of defence programmes Yasuo Kawanishi.
The Japanese government is funding studies that examine the feasibility of developing indigenous regional jets and engines. ShinMaywa believes its firefighting aircraft project also fits in with a government policy to help Japan's aerospace industry pursue a return to civil aircraft manufacturing.
ShinMaywa proposes equipping the US-1A Kai with two water tanks offering a combined capacity of 15t, 9t more than the Bombardier 415. ShinMaywa has not revealed a price for the aircraft, but claims its total life-cycle cost will be equal to the 415, thereby attracting operators interested in larger-capacity aircraft.
ShinMaywa says developing the aircraft would not be difficult because externally it would be identical to the US-1A Kai, which is now being test flown ahead of a 2007 entry into service with the Japanese navy.
BRENDAN SOBIE/SINGAPORE
Source: Flight International
