WESTLAND Helicopters is looking to use a VIP variant of the Westland/Agusta EH101 medium-utility transport as a "door opener" for sales of military-utility and anti-submarine-warfare (ASW) variants of the helicopter in the Gulf region.
The company is offering VIP variants to meet a Saudi Arabian requirement for transporting the Saudi Royal Family.
It is however, also hoping to address the Saudi Arabian armed forces' needs, for military-utility and ASW helicopters. The VIP requirement is likely to be decided before the military projects, with Westland using fleet commonality as part of the sales pitch.
Source: Flight International