Mon, Aug 18, 2003
Sale Could Involve 145 Aircraft
Russian aircraft maker Kamov and
Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) are to provide the Turkish army
with 145 of their Ka-50-2 combat helicopters over the next six
years. Kamov's chief designer told reporters in Moscow on Tuesday
that his company "has practically initialed the contract with
Turkey and we will finalize it by the end of 2003."
He did not say how much the contract was worth. Military
analysts put the price of one Ka-50-2 at between $12 million and
$15 million. IAI's proportion of the deal is believed to be around
40 to 45 percent. In what could be the latest slap in a simmering
dispute between old allies, Turkey, a NATO member, chose Kamov over
its US competitor, the Bell Helicopter division of Textron Inc.
"It did not suit Turkey that the Americans insisted on supplying
fully completed helicopters without any Turkish role in building
them," Mikheev said. "Under our deal Turkish companies will be
involved in work on the cockpit."
The Ka-50-2 is the product of a joint effort by IAI's Lahav
Division, a world leader in avionics modernization and the Kamov
Company, the developer of advanced coaxial rotor technology. Kamov
is responsible for the helicopter airframe, with its various
subsystems, while IAI is responsible for the avionics and weapons
delivery system.
IAI sources warn, however, that the Israeli-Russian concern had
been on the verge of signing deals with Turkey in the past, only
for the agreement to fall through at the last minute.
Israeli sources are suspicious that Turkey is using the
announcement of a deal with IAI-Kamov, in order to pressure the
American bidders to agree to their terms. Turkish sources say that
it is possible that the US Congress will bow to pressure from the
American concerns involved in the deal, and order the Pentagon to
allow Turks access to the technology needed to set up construction
sites on Turkish soil.
Special thanks to Correspondent Dave Bender in
Jerusalem.
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