Singapore intends to bolster its rotary-wing capabilities: it is evaluating new attack helicopters and plans the purchase of additional Boeing CH-47 Chinook transports.
The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is drawing up plans to evaluate and acquire a fleet of attack helicopters. It is now dispatching teams to Europe, Russia, South Africa and the USA to assess competing types of attack designs.
Attention is primarily focused on the Denel CSH-2 Rooivalk, Eurocopter Tiger and McDonnell Douglas (MDC) AH-64D Apache. The flight evaluation of the latter, planned for early 1997, will include live firing of Rockwell AGM-114 Hellfire anti-tank missiles. The RSAF is also thought to be sending a team to Russia to look at the Kamov Ka-50 Hokum and Mil Mi-28 Havoc helicopters.
RSAF interest in an attack-helicopter capability has been prompted in part by Malaysia's intention to acquire a similar type of machine, together with its plans to purchase main battle tanks.
Denel and MDC have already submitted unsolicited sales and industrial co-operation proposals to Kuala Lumpur in the expectation that a formal request for tender will be issued in 1997.
MDC hopes by then to have US clearance to offer the Lockheed Martin Longbow millimetre-wave radar with the AH-64D. Washington is now understood to be considering a formal request from Kuwait to purchase the Apache Longbow and its decision will be likely to set a policy precedent for South-East Asia, say sources.
Singapore, in the meantime, is discussing purchasing a second batch of six Boeing CH-47D Chinook heavy-lift helicopters. The additional machines are needed to supplement six already delivered and being used for training RSAF personnel at Grand Prairie in the USA.
A follow-on CH-47 order would allow the RSAF both to maintain its training operation in the USA and to deploy the helicopter operationally in Singapore and, possibly, for exercises in Australia.
Boeing Helicopters continues to talk with Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing about restarting production of the Model 234 Commercial Chinook in China (Flight International, 13-19 November).
"We are still in discussions. The real question is the market potential and whether we can build a good business case. We are gathering data to confirm a good business situation for both parties," says the company. A final decision on a joint venture is expected to be made within the next 12 months. Should the talks fail, Boeing has no intention of restarting Model 234 production on its own.
Source: Flight International
