AW sues US government over trainer deal
Clearly another example of the hypocrisy of the USG buying home grown US helicopters and not allowing foreign competitors any chance of winning. 
Thinking of "The pot calling the kettle black," I don’t recall this very same company issuing a restraining order barring the UK MoD from awarding a £1bn ($1.63bn) sole-sourced procurement contract for Future Lynx (AW159) helicopters to AW without a competition back in 2006, nor when it was awarded a strategic partnering arrangement with the MoD the very same year.
As noted by the US Army, fewer platform types has its advantages, so good luck Airbus Helicopters.
Thinking of "The pot calling the kettle black," I don’t recall this very same company issuing a restraining order barring the UK MoD from awarding a £1bn ($1.63bn) sole-sourced procurement contract for Future Lynx (AW159) helicopters to AW without a competition back in 2006, nor when it was awarded a strategic partnering arrangement with the MoD the very same year.
As noted by the US Army, fewer platform types has its advantages, so good luck Airbus Helicopters.
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HI:
Or disadvantages as a trainer.
VXX -Sole source ($5.8B)
CRH - Sole source ($9.8B)
Army Trainer - Sole source ($1.0B)
Oh wait the UK MoD just awarded a huge contract to Boeing for Chinooks so your sarcasm was completely wasted....
As noted by the US Army, fewer platform types has its advantages
Clearly another example of the hypocrisy of the USG buying home grown US helicopters and not allowing foreign competitors any chance of winning.
Thinking of "The pot calling the kettle black,
Thinking of "The pot calling the kettle black,
CRH - Sole source ($9.8B)
Army Trainer - Sole source ($1.0B)
Oh wait the UK MoD just awarded a huge contract to Boeing for Chinooks so your sarcasm was completely wasted....
VXX & CRH - As you will no doubt recall, but choose not to acknowledge, both VXX and CRH were open tenders, for which a number of company’s expressed an interest and although the wording of the final RFP may well be open to scrutiny on PPRuNe, neither was a Sole-Source tender.
– Wrong (As I recall RFI offerings were submitted by AW/Boeing, Bell/Boeing, Boeing & SAC/LM, although I believe only SAC/LM responded to the RFP).
– Wrong again (As I recall RFI offerings were submitted by Bell, Bell/Boeing, Boeing, Eurocopter, NG/AW & SAC/LM, although again only SAC/LM responded to the RFP).
– Possibly, but under current DoD funding restrictions, just maybe it is the best of the options on the table for the US Army.
Quite the contrary, you just haven’t done your homework before posting.
The UK MoD/JHC needed to improve battlefield ‘Heavy Lift’ and as the RAF already had 46 Chinooks in inventory, and noting the requirements of FF2020 to reduce helicopter types in service, just what other ‘Heavy Lift’ platform did you expect the UK to buy?
In the 50,000lb category, Boeing is laughing all the way to the bank as there is currently nothing else out there to compete, and do you really think the MoD is going to opt for a mix and procure a batch of 53K’s or Mi-26’s, with 30 plus years of sterling service with the CH47, and with it being the #1 helicopter of choice in the MoD’s inventory?
Future Force 2020 was the brainchild of the 2010 SDSR and with regards to rotary wing capability and noting the need to reduce defence spending (much like the DoD), the MoD decided upon a more affordable structure and as such it was decided to reduce the number of rotary wing platforms in service to essentially a mix of Apache, Chinook, Merlin, Wildcat and in part the Puma helicopters, which roughly figure in type and role as follows:
Apache = Attack
Chinook = Heavy lift
Merlin = CHF Medium lift (Littoral/Maritime) & RN ASW
Puma = Medium Lift (Battlefield)
Wildcat = Maritime (SCMR/LAH) & Land (BRH).
So guess again on the Chinook procurement reasoning.
And yes you are quite right in that having fewer platform types can have its disadvantages.
VXX -Sole source ($5.8B)
CRH - Sole source ($9.8B)
Army Trainer - Sole source ($1.0B)
Oh wait the UK MoD just awarded a huge contract to Boeing for Chinooks so your sarcasm was completely wasted....
The UK MoD/JHC needed to improve battlefield ‘Heavy Lift’ and as the RAF already had 46 Chinooks in inventory, and noting the requirements of FF2020 to reduce helicopter types in service, just what other ‘Heavy Lift’ platform did you expect the UK to buy?
In the 50,000lb category, Boeing is laughing all the way to the bank as there is currently nothing else out there to compete, and do you really think the MoD is going to opt for a mix and procure a batch of 53K’s or Mi-26’s, with 30 plus years of sterling service with the CH47, and with it being the #1 helicopter of choice in the MoD’s inventory?
Future Force 2020 was the brainchild of the 2010 SDSR and with regards to rotary wing capability and noting the need to reduce defence spending (much like the DoD), the MoD decided upon a more affordable structure and as such it was decided to reduce the number of rotary wing platforms in service to essentially a mix of Apache, Chinook, Merlin, Wildcat and in part the Puma helicopters, which roughly figure in type and role as follows:
Apache = Attack
Chinook = Heavy lift
Merlin = CHF Medium lift (Littoral/Maritime) & RN ASW
Puma = Medium Lift (Battlefield)
Wildcat = Maritime (SCMR/LAH) & Land (BRH).
So guess again on the Chinook procurement reasoning.
And yes you are quite right in that having fewer platform types can have its disadvantages.
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What you described, and was described by each US service, was a "competitive" solicitation.
What they are is a Sole Source Award. In other words the solicitation was written so narrowly that amazingly only ONE bidder responded. Hence Sole source award which is precisely what they are. $16.6 B worth .........
If the Army doesn't follow any of the required acquisition steps, the Army will never know what options it has. Precisely what an AoA is designed to do, which again, the Army reportedly has not done.
I would whole heartedly agree with you that if the CH-47 meets the requirements it was righteously selected. I wish the US DoD would practice what they preach and allow a competitive process to decide the outcome rather than game the system. The taxpayers deserve the same consideration the UK taxpayers got with the award to the Boeing and the Chinook.
Just as an FYI, AW (ANGLO-Italian company) builds CH-47s too but didn't get these included, even though they are currently building the ICH-47
What you described, and was described by each US service, was a "competitive" solicitation.
What they are is a Sole Source Award. In other words the solicitation was written so narrowly that amazingly only ONE bidder responded. Hence Sole source award which is precisely what they are. $16.6 B worth .........
Possibly, but under current DoD funding restrictions, just maybe it is the best of the options on the table for the US Army.
I would whole heartedly agree with you that if the CH-47 meets the requirements it was righteously selected. I wish the US DoD would practice what they preach and allow a competitive process to decide the outcome rather than game the system. The taxpayers deserve the same consideration the UK taxpayers got with the award to the Boeing and the Chinook.
Just as an FYI, AW (ANGLO-Italian company) builds CH-47s too but didn't get these included, even though they are currently building the ICH-47
Last edited by Stinger10; 26th Sep 2014 at 19:33.
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adds some context to the discussion.....
