Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC
THE US MARINE CORPS intends to abandon its replacement for the Bell UH-1N and AH-1W, dubbed the Marine Observation and Attack Aircraft programme, in favour of a $3 billion upgrade of both helicopters, keeping them in service after 2020.
The USMC's acquisition strategy is built around awarding Bell Helicopter Textron sole-source engineering- and manufacturing -development (EMD) and production contracts, despite the fact that other US helicopter makers could handle the work.
The USMC says that Bell, as the original AH-1 and UH-1 manufacturer, retains the data rights to the rotorcraft, and has already built and successfully demonstrated a four-bladed rotor system on an AH-1W.
Pentagon and company officials decline to discuss the acquisition strategy, but Flight International has obtained briefing charts on the project's funding and schedule.
The timetable for the complementary four-bladed rotor AH-1W (4BW) and four-bladed rotor UH-1N (4BN) programmes calls for engineering studies during fiscal year 1996. Bell would be awarded the EMD contract in early fiscal year (FY) 1997 and complete 4BW and 4BN design reviews in the same year.
Bell would select the cockpit-upgrade subcontractor and finalise the design during FY1999. The rotor/cockpit work would run concurrently. Flight-testing, technical/operational evaluations and aircraft remanufacture would be accomplished between FY2000 and FY2011.
The FY1996-2004 research and development (R&D) funding profile calls for spending an initial $12 million for 4BW work in FY1996, building to $62 million the following year. The USMC has earmarked $17 million in FY1997 and $27 million in FY1998 to initiate the 4BN R&D. A total R&D expenditure of $631 million, including $472 million for 4BW is planned.
The 4BW/4BN production work, would take place between FY2002 and FY2011. Six UH-1Ns would be upgraded in FY2002 at a cost of $75 million, followed by lots of 12 aircraft through to FY2010. Rebuilding 100 UH-1Ns will cost the USMC $989 million.
A half-dozen AH-1Ws would be modernised during FY2003 at a cost of $84 million, and 12 upgrades, worth $135 million, are planned for FY2004.
A total of 24 AH-1Ws would be upgraded in the following years, ending with 18 units in FY2011. The rotor and cockpit work for 180 AH-1Ws would cost $1.52 billion.
The total bill for the 4BW/4BN R&D and production work will be at least $3.13 billion.
Bell's expected financial windfall follows an abrupt re-ordering of USMC aviation priorities.
In May, the USMC suspended the competition to produce the Integrated Weapons System (IWS) for the AH-1W attack helicopter.
At the time, the USMC said that development of a four-bladed rotor system for the Cobra takes precedence over the cockpit upgrade. The IWS competition was cancelled in July and the AH-1W rotor-system upgrade progressed.
Because of a series of accidents involving the aging UH-1N, it was determined that the twin-engine utility helicopter should also receive the four-bladed rotor-system upgrade, plus General Electric T700 engines, and other safety enhancements.
Source: Flight International
