The Ozzie BOY
28th Feb 2010, 21:28
Defence's new choppers are duds: report
LINDSAY MURDOCH
February 28, 2010
AN INTERNAL German army report has revealed serious deficiencies in the European-designed helicopter that will replace Australia's military helicopter fleet in a $4.2 billion deal.
The damning 103-page report recommends using alternative aircraft whenever possible in military operations.
The report says clearance is so limited in the MRH-90 helicopters that soldiers have trouble getting in and out.
The rear ramp is too weak to support fully equipped soldiers and its floor is so sensitive that it can be cracked by boots.
The report by the German army's Airborne Operations and Air Transport School says the helicopter's limited interior space means there is no room for a defensive machine gunner, or a full infantry unit wearing weapons and armour or a combined troop and cargo load.
And it says heavy infantry weapons, such as surface-to-air missiles, cannot be transported.
Australia is buying 46 of the multi-purpose twin-engine helicopters, most of which will be built in Brisbane by Australian Aerospace, a subsidiary of Eurocopter.
They will replace the ageing Sea King, Iroquois and Black Hawk helicopters currently used by the Australian Army and navy.
The Australian Defence Force said yesterday it could not respond to questions about the German report until tomorrow.
Officials from the German Defence Ministry said they had informed Eurocopter about the deficiencies and asked the company to correct them, UPI.com reported yesterday from Berlin.
Problems with the helicopters will cause alarm in the ADF and the government following the sorry saga of the Super Seasprite program. More than $1 billion was wasted on 11 Seasprite helicopters for the Royal Australian Navy that were never accepted for operational service.
The Howard government chose the MRH-90s, which are called NH90s in Europe, despite a long history of technical problems, including the navigation system and radar.
Its price tripled from initial estimates and delayed planning dates back to the 1980s.
Four of the helicopters bought by Australia have already been manufactured in Europe and two were delivered to Brisbane in December.
The leaked German army report surfaced as the federal government considers which helicopter it will buy for the navy, dictating the direction of naval aviation for the next 30 years.
A navy version of the NH90 is competing for another multibillion-dollar deal with the US Navy's new-generation MH-60R Seahawk, replacing the Australia's existing fleet of ageing Seahawks.
Military chiefs are believed to favour the US helicopters, arguing they are a cheaper, risk-free solution, but selecting a new US helicopter would contradict defence's goal of reducing the types of helicopters flown by the Defence Force.
Choosing the European helicopter would bring big savings by removing the need for duplication of training and logistics systems.
Cabinet's national security committee is expected to make a decision within weeks.
Flaws in the NH90
■Cabin seats are considered capable of accommodating only soldiers who weigh less than 110 kilograms with their gear
■Cannot carry heavier infantry weapons, such as the Stinger man-portable surface-to-air missile
■Clearance is so limited that soldiers have trouble getting in and out of the helicopter
■Rear ramp is too weak to support fully equipped soldiers
■Floor is so sensitive that it can be cracked by boots
■The helicopter's winch is not powerful enough for the fast-roping of commando teams.
Source: German army internal report
LINDSAY MURDOCH
February 28, 2010
AN INTERNAL German army report has revealed serious deficiencies in the European-designed helicopter that will replace Australia's military helicopter fleet in a $4.2 billion deal.
The damning 103-page report recommends using alternative aircraft whenever possible in military operations.
The report says clearance is so limited in the MRH-90 helicopters that soldiers have trouble getting in and out.
The rear ramp is too weak to support fully equipped soldiers and its floor is so sensitive that it can be cracked by boots.
The report by the German army's Airborne Operations and Air Transport School says the helicopter's limited interior space means there is no room for a defensive machine gunner, or a full infantry unit wearing weapons and armour or a combined troop and cargo load.
And it says heavy infantry weapons, such as surface-to-air missiles, cannot be transported.
Australia is buying 46 of the multi-purpose twin-engine helicopters, most of which will be built in Brisbane by Australian Aerospace, a subsidiary of Eurocopter.
They will replace the ageing Sea King, Iroquois and Black Hawk helicopters currently used by the Australian Army and navy.
The Australian Defence Force said yesterday it could not respond to questions about the German report until tomorrow.
Officials from the German Defence Ministry said they had informed Eurocopter about the deficiencies and asked the company to correct them, UPI.com reported yesterday from Berlin.
Problems with the helicopters will cause alarm in the ADF and the government following the sorry saga of the Super Seasprite program. More than $1 billion was wasted on 11 Seasprite helicopters for the Royal Australian Navy that were never accepted for operational service.
The Howard government chose the MRH-90s, which are called NH90s in Europe, despite a long history of technical problems, including the navigation system and radar.
Its price tripled from initial estimates and delayed planning dates back to the 1980s.
Four of the helicopters bought by Australia have already been manufactured in Europe and two were delivered to Brisbane in December.
The leaked German army report surfaced as the federal government considers which helicopter it will buy for the navy, dictating the direction of naval aviation for the next 30 years.
A navy version of the NH90 is competing for another multibillion-dollar deal with the US Navy's new-generation MH-60R Seahawk, replacing the Australia's existing fleet of ageing Seahawks.
Military chiefs are believed to favour the US helicopters, arguing they are a cheaper, risk-free solution, but selecting a new US helicopter would contradict defence's goal of reducing the types of helicopters flown by the Defence Force.
Choosing the European helicopter would bring big savings by removing the need for duplication of training and logistics systems.
Cabinet's national security committee is expected to make a decision within weeks.
Flaws in the NH90
■Cabin seats are considered capable of accommodating only soldiers who weigh less than 110 kilograms with their gear
■Cannot carry heavier infantry weapons, such as the Stinger man-portable surface-to-air missile
■Clearance is so limited that soldiers have trouble getting in and out of the helicopter
■Rear ramp is too weak to support fully equipped soldiers
■Floor is so sensitive that it can be cracked by boots
■The helicopter's winch is not powerful enough for the fast-roping of commando teams.
Source: German army internal report