From Jane's back in December, sets out some of the issues in greater detail....
EUROPE, Germany
Date Posted: 02-Dec-2015
Jane's Defence Weekly
Germany seeks CH-53 replacement, as
retirement brought forward
Gareth Jennings
Donauworth
The German Air Force (GAF) has begun the process of selecting a new medium/heavy-lift helicopter as it looks to phase its ageing VFW-Sikorsky CH-53G/GS/GA Stallions out of service earlier than originally planned.
Speaking at the site of Airbus Helicopters' Donauworth facility on 30 November, Wolfgang Schoder, CEO of Airbus Helicopters Germany and Head of Light and Governmental Programs,said that the German military is in the very early stages of a replacement process for the 1970s legacy CH-53, but that he expects the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to issue a solicitation next year for a new platform to enter service in the early 2020s.
"We see no investment in further upgrades [to the CH-53]. It is [Airbus Helicopters'] responsibility
to keep it flying through to about 2020, but we are close to the customer and we hear about specifications for a replacement," Schoder said, adding, "We are in constructive discussions with the German MoD [Ministry of Defence] as to our role in such a [replacement] programme."
Airbus Helicopters is currently in the process of putting the last four of 40 CH-53G/GS platforms through the CH-53GA modernisation effort (the remaining 26 CH-53G/GS helicopters in the GAF fleet will remain at that standard for a total fleet of 66 CH-53G/GS/GS platforms).
The CH-53GA is an enhanced variant of the CH-53G/GS, with improvements made primarily to the avionics, communications, and electronic warfare systems, and the integration of a forward looking infrared (FLIR) sensor turret. An internal fuel tank has also been fitted, extending the helicopter's range to 1,200 km, and the airframe has been refurbished.
With the upgrade, it was expected that the CH-53GA-variant would remain operational with the GAF through to at least 2030 and possibly beyond. However, with the upgrade programme set to conclude in 2016 the GAF has now decided to replace the fleet with a new type entirely from 2020 to 2025.
According to Schoder, the German MoD is looking at two helicopter types only, with either the Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion or Boeing CH-47F Chinook to be selected. "There are only two platforms that can fulfil the requirements," he said. "While the German MoD is now in the very early stages [of a replacement programme] what we can say is that this will not be a new development project. Germany wants a fast, low-risk procurement, which really means 'off-the-shelf'".
In terms of the role of Airbus Helicopters in any future acquisition programme, Schoder said that it is too early to talk about possible license production in Germany, and that this might not be the best solution for the GAF.
"I am not sure that this [license production] model would make sense - what's the value in it for the German customer? The value that [Airbus Helicopters] can bring can be in certifying and qualifying [the platform] to German standards. Also, including German suppliers in the programme would addvalue in that it would provide [the GAF] with an independent supply chain," he added.
While Airbus Helicopters' role in any future procurement programme would be defined by the German MoD, Schoder noted that the company "is in permanent discussions" with both Sikorsky and Boeing, saying, "Both are aware that Airbus Helicopters will be interested to support the German customer for such a procurement. I don't know of many military programmes where there is no national customisation."
The CH-53K is currently being developed for the US Marine Corps (USMC), and Sikorsky is targeting Germany and Israel as current operators of the legacy CH-53 as its best near-term options for potential future sales. With the USMC set to acquire about 200 such helicopters, Germany would benefit from economies of scale in terms of procurement, sustainment, and support should it opt for this platform.
Having made its debut flight on 27 October, the CH-53K will be able to carry three times as much
weight as the legacy Sikorsky CH-53E, and has been designed to perform better in 'hot and high' conditions. It is set to enter service with the USMC in 2019 which would suit Germany's proposed timelines (assuming that slots could be found in the production line), but this is dependent on a near-flawless flight test campaign between now and then.
Already in service or on order with operators around the world, the latest-variant CH-47F Chinook is a proven platform with recent combat use in Afghanistan and beyond. With the US Army alone set to acquire about 200 new-build and remanufactured helicopters, and with an upgrade path in place through to a projected US out-of-service date of 2060, the CH-47F would also offer the GAF impressive economies of scale and support solutions.
For both the CH-53K and CH-47F, the GAF should be able to tap into the Pentagon's multi-year procurement process for a reduced acquisition cost, though the precise extent of any such savings would not be known until the conclusion of negotiations, which would follow a platform announcement.
ANALYSIS
The GAF currently operates all of Germany's CH-53 helicopters, with the type having transferred over from the army to pave the way for the NHIndustries NH90 Tactical Transport Helicopter. In recent years, Germany's CH-53 fleet has seen deployments to Afghanistan, Bosnia Hercegovina, the Congo, Kosovo, and Pakistan.
The latest plan to bring forward the CH-53 retirement date from 2030 to about 2020 is not the first time in recent years that Germany has looked at fielding a new helicopter type to satisfy its medium/heavy-lift requirements.
As recently as 2010 Boeing revealed a proposal derived from its CH-47 Chinook design that was dubbed the European Future Transport Helicopter or Transport Helicopter Concept. This new helicopter would represent a scaled-up version of the current CH-47 design, taking the maximum gross weight from around 24,000 kg to around 36,000 kg. It also featured a fuselage that was stretched by 5 m, and four-bladed tandem rotors.
While the project never progressed to the stage where industrial collaboration agreements were settled, Eurocopter touted the same design which it billed as the Heavy Transport Helicopter. An initial operating capability was planned for 2018, with a stated requirement for up to 120 helicopters.
It appears that financial restraints killed-off that particular effort and while the tight timelines this time around all but preclude a clean-sheet developmental design, the German MoD appears intent this on seeing the requirement through to the fielding of a new operational helicopter type.