Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC
Delays in completing flight demonstrations have held up a decision on Turkey's $3 billion project to procure 145 attack helicopters. A shortlist of two or three finalists is not expected until early next year. The final contract award is now expected to be concluded in June or July 1999, according to Bell Helicopter officials.
The last type to be evaluated by the Turkish army, the Eurocopter Tiger, is at an airfield near Ankara awaiting clearance to begin flying "in a few days", according to Eurocopter. The test will last for about a week.
Five competitors remain in the running: Bell Helicopter's AH-1Z King Cobra, Boeing's AH-64D Apache Longbow, the Kamov Ka-50-2 Hokum, Agusta's A129 Mangusta and the Eurocopter Tiger. Israel Aircraft Industries is teamed with Agusta and Kamov.
Shortlisting had initially been expected in September with the winner named in February or March following negotiations with Tasis Aerospace Industries (TAI), which will build the selected attack helicopter under licence.
Turkish military officials have already evaluated the Bell AH-1W, the precursor to the AH-1Z King Cobra which is in development, and the Boeing AH-64 Longbow Apache. The Kamov Ka-50-2 and the Augusta 129 have also completed flight trials.
The US State Department gave Bell Helicopter and Boeing permission to show their attack helicopters in Turkey earlier this year, after the Clinton Administration gave approval for US Þrms to contest the deal. The US Congress could still vote to reject a potential US attack gunship sale. Human rights groups and some US politicians have expressed concern about US arms sales in the light of Turkey's human rights record.
Two years ago, Turkey cancelled plans to buy 10 additional AH-1Ws, worth $110 million, after the foreign military sales transaction was held up by the US State Department. In 1993, Turkey purchased 10 AH-1Ws, worth $135 million, which could be modernised to King Cobra conÞguration should Bell Helicopter win the gunship contest.
Source: Flight International
