Defence Update

Black Hawks to Reach Service Status Before Seahawks

The RAAF is to get its first 14 Sikorsky S70-A-9 Black Hawk utility helicopters ahead of the Navy’s augmented order of 16 Sikorsky S-70-8-1 Seahawks. The announcement on May 1 by the Defence Minister, Mr Kim Beazley, of the order of 14 Black Hawks at a project cost of$284 million and of an extra eight Sea Hawks (for a project cost of$187. 51 million) is the second phase of new helicopter orders which could exceed 100 by the next decade. The order of new generation helicopters began in October 1984 with the announcement of an initial order of 8 Seahawks for the RAN at a project cost of$317 million plus$51 m to modify three FFG frigates.

Aerospatiale of France, with its Super Puma, gave the Americans a fight almost down to the wire, with a strong Australian Industry Involvement (All) bid based on the CAC & GAF Melbourne aircraft factories. Both Sikorsky and Aerospatiale are understood to have revised their bids downwards in the hot competition before ‘best and final offers’ were made earlier this year. At one stage Sikorsky is said to have withdrawn its All offer and then revised and reduced the premium earlier envisaged. Mr Beazley told Australian Aviation that in the finish the Super Puma did not have a cost advantage.

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