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France eyes up Boeing CH-47 purchase
The French are feasting their eyes on possible purchase of the Chinook, partly heavy lift and more so in support fo their Special Forces. cheers https://www.flightglobal.com/news/ar...sition-459660/ |
About time - I guess it'll be the Russians next...................
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Queen of the Skies! Hooks will be flying when we are all gone!
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The Franco/German pooled fleet idea mentioned in the flightblobal article is interesting. CH-47 seems to be a good choice for many.
I am kind of surprised that a European solution for a true heavy helo came to nothing. Seems like it could have been a big winner for all involved- but then again it could have gone down the NH-90 route...... |
Chinook is like the C_130 IMO. It's one of those designs that is just really good, useful, and stands the test of time (with the occasional updgrade here and there).
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I supposed it will req RAF C-17's to transport them as well.
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One can only imagine that a Euro Heavy Lift helo would have resulted in the usual Euro narrative of ‘excellence through collaboration’ with the equally usual Euro performance, time and cost indicators to the contrary. |
I guess most European countries have a limited use for heavy lift - there is a full road network everywhere and most of Europe can be driven across cross-country- its only when you go expeditionary or cross beaches you really need a lot of cargo heft.
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Originally Posted by Asturias56
(Post 10520174)
I guess most European countries have a limited use for heavy lift - there is a full road network everywhere and most of Europe can be driven across cross-country- its only when you go expeditionary or cross beaches you really need a lot of cargo heft.
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The abortive Euro Heavy Lift enabled the French and German governments to pump millions of Euros into Airbus to get the answer everyone knew from the start; the rest of Europe was already flying -47s, the -53K wasn’t far away, and a 3rd NATO heavy lift aircraft would therefore struggle to find a market outside the two originating nations and, ergo, be horrendously expensive to buy and operate (likely even more so than the -53K). Nice way of funnelling some money to Airbus though........ |
Originally Posted by Pontius Navigator
(Post 10520309)
Unless some one drops the bridges.
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Or someone drops the roads.................or the railways..............or the airfields
Airlift is only an element of any logistics grid................. Arc |
Originally Posted by Asturias56
(Post 10520591)
Cheaper to have truck mounted barges or bridges than a very expensive Heavy lift helicopter tho'............... and you'd have to drop an awful lot of bridges to really screw things up in W Europe
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I thought all it was needed to bring traffic to grinding halt was to declare a Bank Holiday!
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helicopters can be used to move a small amount of critical equipment - how many would it take to support a full armored division without any surface transport for example?
You need some - but for a lot of European countries that number is small |
Eva, in what world is the 53K not far away? |
Presumably their experience with the secondedRAF ones over the last few months have shown them the neccessity of the CH47. On that basis, can UKPLC get a introduction commission from Boeing for the sale? :-)
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What was their last heavyish lift, the Frelon? |
Originally Posted by NutLoose
(Post 10521993)
What was their last heavyish lift, the Frelon? |
Probably their recent adventures in Africa have shown the need for longer range heavier lift for special forces etc
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