Promoting Aircraft For Transport, Communications, And Airlift
Missions
BAE Systems used the Defence Services & Equipment
International Exhibition (DSEI) in London Wednesday to announce
that it intends to promote the BAe 146 to the world's military as a
cost-effective transport.
Dubbed the BAe 146M, the aircraft will be offered to Air Forces
who operate ageing turboprop and jet airliners that are currently
used for transport and communications tasks. It is estimated that
there are currently over 1700 such aircraft in service with nearly
150 air arms and many of these aircraft are in excess of 40 years
old.
BAE Systems believes the BAe 146M could also be used by Air
Forces to complement existing fleets of tactical airlifters such as
C130 Hercules, by taking on a wide variety of non tactical air
transport roles, thereby prolonging the fatigue life on ageing
tactical assets. The BAe 146M, however, has a performance
capability that means it can realistically undertake some of the
more challenging air transport support roles, including operations
from unpaved runways.
The Asset Management business of BAE Systems has a number of BAe
146-200 and -300 Series aircraft that are due back off lease from
European airline customers over the next few years and which could
be made available to the military airlift market.
The BAe 146 can be acquired for between $2-3 million in a
passenger configuration and up to $5 million as a freighter, BAE
says. Many of the BAe 146s to be offered have yet to reach half
life and given typical military utilizations, the aircraft can be
expected to offer reliable service for many years. BAE Systems
believes the BAe 146M offers cost-effective additional airlift
capability for interim or long-term requirements and is available
at a time when defence budgets increasingly are under strain.
The BAe 146M will be sold to military air arms in either
passenger or freighter configuration. As pure passenger aircraft
these aircraft will seat between 80-109 passengers; as freighters
they will carry between 11-12.5 tons of freight. Delivery
timescales are very short so the aircraft can be put into service
relatively quickly to meet current airlift shortfalls.
A range of Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) modifications
can be made available such as additional fuel tanks, LCD Flight
deck displays, steep approach and unpaved runway capability.
The BAe 146M also has potential as a platform for specialist
multi-role concepts such as combined passenger and freight (Combi),
as a paratroop transport, for medical evacuation, as a forward air
refueler, for re-broadcasting and for general surveillance
duties.