Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC
THE FUTURE OF near-term US military-helicopter procurement hangs in the balance, with decisions involving the purchase of additional Sikorsky UH-60 helicopters and the modernisation of Bell AH-1W and UH-1N rotorcraft becoming intertwined.
Paul Kaminski, the Pentagon's acquisition chief, is to decide in the next few weeks - as part of fiscal year 1997 defence-budget deliberations - whether to order the US Navy, US Air Force and US Marine Corps to join the US Army in procuring more UH-60 Black Hawks. USMC involvement is critical to the ambitious UH-60 procurement scheme, although the Marines prefer a plan to modernise 100 in-service UH-1N light-utility helicopters.
An unsolicited offer made by Sikorsky Aircraft in August promises to provide the US military with 180 new Black Hawks at "bargain-basement" prices. Kaminski told the US military services to evaluate the offer and to report back to him on its feasibility as part of the preparation for the FY1997 defence budget.
Industry sources say that Kaminski has already ordered the US Army to earmark $200 million in FY1997 for 18 additional UH-60Ls, which the US Army does not want. Over the next five years, the US Army would receive 90 Black Hawks worth $1 billion.
Sikorsky says, however, that it can reach the efficient production rate of 36 UH-60s a year if variants are also bought for USN vertical replenishment, USMC light-utility missions, and USAF support missions.
The Sikorsky bid runs counter to the USMC's planned $3 billion upgrade of its AH-1Ws and UH-1Ns, which is designed to keep them in service up to 2020 (Flight International, 1-7 November). Industry sources say that programme officials have recommended UH-1N modernisation over Black Hawk procurement to Kaminski.
USN Capt. Steven Fahrenkrog, head of the Marine H-1 Upgrades Programme, hopes to use about $12 million in FY1996 funding to initiate engineering trade-off studies. He also says that the planned AH-1W cockpit upgrade will include a forward-looking-infra-red device for navigation and provisions for a helmet-mounted-display.
Source: Flight International
