Rotor Torque

Loads Lifted During the Tests Included a Collapsible Fuel Bladder, a 105mm Hamel Gun and a Land Rover.

The Clearances Allow Pilot and Aircrewmen Courses to Begin Operating the Helicopter With External Loads.

Aust Aerospace Chief: “i Just Want a Competition”

the Ceo of Australian Aerospace Has Called on Defence to Hold a Competitive Tender Process for the Air 9000 Phase 8 Requirement to Replace the Navy’s Seahawk and Defunct Seasprite Helicopters.

“i Just Want a Competition,” Australian Aerospace Ceo Dr Jens Goennemann Told Media in Canberra on September 15, Calling for a Competition to Be Held to Ensure Best Taxpayer Value.

Goennemann Made the Call in Response to Reports That the Navy Was Considering a Sole Source Fms (Foreign Military Sales) Purchase of Lockheed Martin/sikorsky Mh-60r ‘romeo’ Helicopters Direct From the Us Government to Replace the Ran’s 16 Seahawks and 11 Cancelled Seasprites.

Australian Aerospace Plans to Offer the Nfh90 Variant of the Nh90 Helicopter (46 Mrh 90 Utility Variants of Which Are Entering Adf Service) for Air 9000 Phase 8. Goennemann Says Fewer Nfh90s May Be Needed Than the Nominal 24-28 Helicopters the Navy Requires Due to the Nfh’s Utility Capabilities.

Goennemann Described as “false” the Reasons Put Forward by Mh-60r Proponents to Move to a Quick Fms Buy of the Us Helicopter, Saying That the Nfh90 Will Enter Service With the French Navy in 2011, and That He “believed” the French Would Be Willing to Forgo Delivery Slots to Allow Early Deliveries to Australia.

“you Can Buy Nfh Off the Shelf,” He Said, Stressing Thenfh90’s Commonality Benefits With the Mrh 90. The Australian Aerospace Ceo Also Said That if Selected the 24-28 Nfh90s Would Be Assembled at the Company’s Brisbane Facilities, Which Would Sustain the Equivalent of 500 Jobs.

Goennemann Said He Expected First Pass Approval for Air 9000 Phase 8 Either Late This Year or Early Next.

Tiger Arh Passes T&e Milestone

Greg Combet, Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science, Announced on October 1 That the Army’s Fleet of Tiger Arh Helicopters Has Passed the Key Initial Operational Test and Evaluation Readiness Milestone.

“this is a Critical Milestone in the Development of This Important Capability Which Will Provide Army and the Australian Defence Force With One of the Most Technologically Advanced Combat Helicopters in the World,” Combet Said.

“the Crews of the 1st Aviation Regiment in Darwin Will Now Focus on Team Training With Multiple Aircraft, and Utilising the Sensors and Outstanding Weapon Systems of the Tiger in the Combined Arms Environment of the Landforce Battlespace. ” by Mid September Australia’s Tiger Fleet Had Flown More Than 4000 Hours, More Than Any Other Tiger Operator, Australian Aerospace Ceo Dr Jens Goennemann Told Reporters. Nine Tigers Are Expected to Meet the Initialreadiness Capability Compliant Certification Milestone by March 31 Next.

Goennemann Also Said He Understood the Australian Army Was Watching the French Army’s Experience With Its Tiger Deployment in Afghanistan (See Separate Item) “very Closely”.

Echidna Runs Out of Time

the Commonwealth Has Announced That It Will Cancel the Major Elements of Air 5416, the Electronic Warfare Self Protection (Ewsp) Upgrade of the Army’s Black Hawk Helicopters.

The Project is Based Around a Preliminary Ewsp Upgrade and Was to Be Followed by the Fitting of the Bae Systems Australia Designed Alr-2002 Radar Warning Receiver. The First 12 Black Hawks Will Retain Their Interim Ewsp Which is Being Fitted at the Moment and Will Result in a Capability Similar to That of the Army’s Six Ch-47d Chinooks, but Will Now Not Be Fitted With the Alr-2002.

“defence Has Reassessed the Operational Requirement and Has Determined That the Fitting of Additional Electronic Warfare Self Protection Capabilities Would Have an Adverse Effect on Aircraft Availability,” Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science, Greg Combet, Said. “black Hawk Helicopters Are Currently Being Utilised for a Wide Variety of Roles for the Adf and It is Vital That They Continue to Be Available to Fulfil These Roles.

Defence Also Advised the Government That the Return on Investment Involved in Completing, Installing and Sustaining the Advanced Electronic Warfare Suite Would Not Be Justified Given the Remaining Life of the Black Hawk Fleet. ” the Raaf’s Remaining Eight or Nine C-130h Hercules Were Also Slated for the Echidna Upgrade and This Was Completed Last Year, While the Alr-2002 Had Previously Been Chosen to Be Fitted to the Raaf’s F/a-18a/b Hornets, but This Was Cancelled Several Years Ago in Favour of Raytheon’s Alr‑67(V)3 Rwr.

Aerial Spraying of Sugarloaf Pipeline Reinstates Grass

a Bell 206b-3 Jetranger Was Used to Sow Seed and Spray Herbicide on a 30m Wide and 70km Long Corridor of Recently Reinstated Grass Over the Subterranean Sugarloaf Pipeline Near Glenburn, East of Melbourne, in Early September.

The Sugarloaf Pipeline Alliance Used the Paton Air Jetranger to Allow Large Sections of the Pipeline Route to Be Sprayed Efficiently Without Disturbing the New Pasture to Reinstate the Grass to Its Previous or Better Condition.

The Sugarloaf Pipeline, Which Runs From the Goulburn River Near Yea to Sugarloaf Reservoir on Melbourne’s Outskirts, Will Deliver Up to 75 Billion Litres of Water Annually.

Bell 429 Achieves Easa Certification

Bell’s New Twin, the 429, Was Awarded Easa (European Aviation Safety Agency) Certification in Late September.

Neil Marshall, Program Manager of the Bell 429 Program, Announced the Easa Certification on September 24 While Attending Helitech 2009 at Duxford, Uk.

Certification From Both Transport Canada and the Faa Was Awarded in July.

Bell Plans to Deliver Four 429s by the End of the Year – Three for North American Customers and a Single Machine for an Ems Operator in Japan.

The First 429 to Be Delivered is Due to Enter Service With Mercy Air Ambulance in January Once It Has Completed Its Ems Fitout and Has Had Associated Rescue Equipment Tested and Certified, Including the Cargo Hook and Rescue Hoist System.

French Tigers See Action in Afghanistan

in Late September the French Army Released Details About the First Engagements Involving Its Tiger Attack and Reconnaissance Helicopters During Operations in Afghanistan.

On September 5, Two of the Three Det Helico Pamir Tigers Deployed to Afghanistan in Late July Were Tasked to Assist Two Ec725 Caracals With the Extraction of 23 Allied Soldiers Who Had Been in Contact With Insurgents From Two Positions Approximately 70km From Kabul.

The Tigers Arrived to Engage the Insurgents With Their 30mm Nose Cannon, Clearing the Way for One of the Ec725s to Land and Evacuate Several Soldiers Including Two Who Were Injured. During Takeoff the Ec725s Came Under Fire From a Rocket Propelled Grenade Which Exploded Near One Helicopter, but the Ec725 Departed the Area Without Further Incident.

The Patrolling Tigers Then Engaged the Enemy Artillery, Destroying Their Targets, as Later Confirmed by Ground Troops.

As the Second Ec725 Evacuated the Remaining Soldiers Both the Tigers Remained in the Area, Ensuring a Safe Extraction and a Return to Base.

A Spokesperson From the French Army Said in a Statement That “the Incident Has Proven the Tiger, Demonstrating Excellent Operational Capabilities Under Fire From the Enemy and Missions Including Close Combat Attack. Its Firepower, the Effectiveness of Its Self-protection Systems and Liaison Confirms Its Ability to Be Involved in Contact in Multinational, Joint and Combined Arms. ”

Eurocopter to Extend Lives of Raf Pumas

Eurocopter and the Uk Ministry of Defence Signed a €250m (a$412m) Contract on September 18 for a Life Extension Program for 28 of the Royal Air Force’s Puma Mk1 Helicopters.

The Puma’s Life Extension Program Will Include New Turbomeca Makila 1a1 Engines, a Fully Digital Glass Cockpit, New Communications, Navigation and Defensive Systems, and a Digital Autopilot.

The Upgrade, Due to Be Completed by December 2014, Will Result in the Pumas Being Redesignated the Puma Hc Mk2, and Will Enable Them to Remain in Service Until at Least 2022.

Briefs

• Eastland Aviation Has Been Appointed as the Exclusive Distributor for Md Helicopters in Australia. The Company Also Represents Md in New Zealand and the South Pacific.

• Australian Aerospace Opened a Spare Parts Warehouse to Support the Mrh 90 on September 18.

The Two Storey 2790m2 Spares Complex, Located at Ingleburn, Close to the Holsworthy Army Barracks in Southwestern Sydney, Will Be the Central Reception and Distribution Point From Where Spares and Other Support Equipment for the Mrh 90s Will Be Shipped Interstate and Overseas.

• Sikorsky Has Upgraded Its S-92 With a 225kg Increase in Payload and an Optional Automated Approach Capability.

The Upgrade Takes the S-92’s Maximum Gross Weight to at Least 12,150kg, While the Fully Coupled Automated Approach Capability, Developed in-house by Sikorsky, Will Allow Flightcrews to Approach Platforms With Greater Safety and Lower Minimums. The Enhancements Will Be Included on Current Production Helicopters and Offered as a Retrofit From the End of 2010.

• Russian Helicopter Manufacturer Kamov Announced on October 7 That the Ka- 32a11bc Utility Helicopter Has Received Type Certification From the European Aviation Safety Agency (Easa).

• the T129 Prototype Attack Helicopter Destined for the Turkish Land Forces (Tlf) Command Made Its First Flight on September 28 at Agustawestland’s Cascina Costa Facility in Italy. The T129 Has Been Developed by Atak Team, Comprising Turkish Aerospace Industries (Tai), Aselsan and Agustawestland, to Fulfil the 50 Firm and 41 Optional Orders for the Attack and Tactical Reconnaissance Helicopter Requirement by the Tlf and for Possible Export.