Fri, Apr 30, 2010
24 New Helos Is The Expected Order
Australia's Minister for Defence, Senator John Faulkner
(right) said Wednesday that the Defence Materiel Organization
has released project solicitation documents to the United States
Navy and Australian Aerospace for the supply of a new naval combat
helicopter. Under this project, the Government will acquire
sufficient helicopters to provide at least eight aircraft
concurrently embarked on ships at sea, which according to the White
Paper requires a fleet of 24 helicopters.
Senator Faulkner said that "The new naval combat helicopter will
enhance the Royal Australian Navy's ability to conduct a range of
maritime combat and other operations, including anti-submarine and
surface warfare."
As announced by the Government in February 2010, the new
helicopter will be either the Sikorsky-Lockheed Martin built MH-60R
sourced through the United States Navy, or the NATO Helicopter
Industries NH90 NFH sourced through Australian Aerospace. "The
competition to select a new helicopter has commenced on schedule
ahead of a final decision about the new helicopter in 2011" Senator
Faulkner said. "The release of tender documents now is in line with
the schedule determined by the Government when it considered the
project for First Pass Approval in February of this year."
"This marks the transition of Project AIR 9000 Phase 8 to a
formal competitive solicitation phase," said Greg Combet, Minister
for Defence Materiel and Science. "A competitive process is
consistent with the Kinnaird and Mortimer procurement reforms. It
will allow the companies to offer innovative solutions that satisfy
the capability, cost and schedule requirements and detail what
opportunities they will offer local industry."
Senator Faulkner said that any decision Government makes in 2011
will take into account all relevant considerations including
capability, cost, interoperability with other ADF capabilities,
Australian industry opportunities, risk and value for money.
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