New Helicopters for Navy

New Helicopters For Navy

The RAN is currently evaluating the contenders for its most important aviation project since the acquisition of the Seahawk, the program to find an advanced light helicopter for the Anzac frigates and the forthcoming Offshore Patrol Combatants. Project SEA 1411/1427 aims to acquire 14 intermediate helicopters for the RAN’s eight Anzac frigates currently under construction (the lead ship, HMAS Anzac was commissioned in May this year), with an option to buy a further batch to equip the Navy’s proposed OPCs. The OPC helicopters are dependent on whether the RAN goes ahead with its planned OPC buy to replace its Fremantle class patrol boats in the near term. This is in part dependent on whether Malaysia agrees to participate in a joint OPC program with Australia based on a Transfield design. If the OPC deal goes through, the number of additional naval helicopters acquired depends on the number of OPCs built for the RAN.

The need to find a small/intermediate helicopter to operate off the OPCs had a profound effect on the Navy’s program to find a helicopter to operate from the Anzacs. When design of the Anzac ships was finalised it was assumed that they would embark a Sikorsky Seahawk, which the RAN already operates, and the Anzacs are being equipped with the Seahawk specific RAST recovery system. However when the strong prospect of the OPC buy emerged the Department of Defence instead decided that the OPCs and Anzacs should have a common helicopter. Size limitations prevent the OPCs from being fitted with the Seahawk’s RAST, thus limiting the sea states in which a Seahawk can operate from an OPC. Another influencing factor was the belief that a smaller (and hence cheaper) aircraft could just as easily fulfil the requirements needed for an OPC helicopter. Hence a weight cap of 6040kg (13,300lb) was placed in SEA 1411/1427’s specifications, thus ruling out the Seahawk from contention.

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