Airbus Helicopters H225M Caracal

Gestart door Ace1, 07/03/2013 | 23:46 uur

Harald

aankoop Airbus Caracal's geschrapt .... Polen koopt S-70 Black Hawks !!

Black Hawks for the Polish Special Forces

The Polish government wasted no time in announcing on October 10 that its preferred helicopter, the Sikorsky S-70 Black Hawk, would be procured this year, and that deliveries will begin before the end of the year.

In a joint press conference held with the Polish Prime Minister, Beata Szydlo, Polish Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz announced that the first examples of the Black Hawk helicopters will be received by the Polish Army by the end of this year.

Coming less than a week after Poland abruptly called off talks to buy the competing Airbus Caracal, this announcement confirms what many observers believe: that the Polish government had long decided to buy the Black Hawk, and was looking for a pretext to end the Airbus talks which it has allowed to drag on inconclusively for nearly a year.

Szydlo said that the factory that produces Black Hawks, while foreign, employs several thousand Poles and pays taxes in Poland, and that buying those helicopters would be an act of "economic patriotism," Associated Press reported Oct 10. "It's important that the military have Polish equipment made by Polish workers," Szydlo said.

The helicopters will be delivered to the special operations component of the Polish Army. The rapid procurement will make it possible to ensure that the operational needs of the Polish Army are met, and also allow budget funds allocated to this fiscal year to be spent, Macierewicz said.

Obviously, these helicopters will have to be bought off-the-shelf from Sikorsky to enter service by year-end, and thus will provide no work for Polish factories. They also will provide no offsets to compensate for the expenditure, contrary to what Polish authorities had demanded from the three bidders for the helicopter tender, and also contrary to their stated reasons for pulling out of offset talks for the purchase of 50 Airbus EC725/ H225M Caracal.

It also is unclear, given that the S-70 Black Hawk had been eliminated from the previous competition as technically non-compliant, whether this purchase conforms to Polish acquisition rules and to European public tender law. "Economic patriotism," for example, is expressly forbidden by European Union regulations.

In either case, it could provide Airbus with an opportunity to mount a legal challenge to its eviction, should it so decide.

Airbus on Oct 11 reacted forcefully to Polish government statements on the Caracal acquisition. In an open letter to the Polish Prime Minister, Airbus Helicopter CEO Guillaume Faury refuted "a number of misleading allegations reported in the media," and detailed hos company's offset proposals in great detail.

Noting that on September 30th, just four days before Ministry of Development's decision to break off talks, "Airbus Helicopters accepted to extend the validity of its offer at the request of the Ministry of Defence until November 30th," Airbus said that it had even agreed to offset Poland's 23% value-added tax, something that is virtually unheard-of in international offsets.

Macierewicz assured that relevant talks pertaining to the prospective procurement are going to begin this week, while the corresponding agreement is expected to be signed by the end of the year. The deliveries are also going to begin before the end of 2016. Most probably, the Polish government is considering acquisition of no more than ten helicopters.

The special forces urgently need to establish a proper level of operational capabilities, as the Polish 7th Special Operations Squadron currently operates Mi-17 helicopters which only partially meet the stated requirements. Also, the quantity of the helicopters that are in service is too low. Minister Macierewicz made a statement referring to the Black Hawk helicopters during his visit to the PZL Mielec facility, where the joint press conference with the Prime Minister was held.

Polish Prime Minister stated that the government is willing to restore the Polish industrial capabilities and use Polish technological potential. At the same time, she stressed the fact that the steps taken jointly at PZL Mielec form a good example of collaboration with the foreign investor. The government assumes that modern armament and military hardware will be purchased from Polish factories manufacturing such products.

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/article-view/release/177809/poland-orders-black-hawk-helicopters.html

Sparkplug

Poland says ended talks with Airbus on helicopter deal

Business News | Tue Oct 4, 2016 | 7:31pm BST

Poland has scrapped a 13.5 billion zlotys ($3.5 billion) deal for 50 Airbus (AIR.PA) utility helicopters that were to be delivered to the Polish army, the economy ministry said late on Tuesday.

"Poland considers the negotiations regarding the offset agreement with Airbus Helicopters related to the contract for the purchase of Caracal multi-role helicopters for the Polish army as finished," the ministry said.

Poland's previous centrist government, beaten by the eurosceptic Law and Justice (PiS) party in elections last October, agreed a provisional deal with Airbus for 50 EC-725 Caracal multi-purpose helicopters.

That meant turning down offers from Sikorsky (LMT.N) in the United States and AgustaWestland SIFI.MI in Italy.

Earlier this year local media reported that Poland scrapped the deal, but Airbus said talks were continuing.

"For the Polish government the top priority is to ensure the security of the state and the conditions for the development of the Polish defence industry. Discrepancies in the negotiating positions of both sides make it impossible to reach a compromise, and therefore the continuation of talks is pointless," the ministry also said.

($1 = 3.8488 zlotys)

(Reporting by Pawel Sobczak Writing by Agnieszka Barteczko; Editing by Ruth Pitchford)

http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-poland-airbus-idUKKCN12425J?il=0
A fighter without a gun . . . is like an airplane without a wing.

-- Brigadier General Robin Olds, USAF.

Sparkplug

Airbus Helicopters edges closer to Polish H225M deal

By Dominic Perry, London | 07 September, 2016

Airbus Helicopters believes it is close to finalising an order with Poland for 50 H225M rotorcraft – some 18 months after the Caracal was provisionally selected for the tri-service deal.

Warsaw initially selected the 11t type in April 2015 – ahead of rival bids from Leonardo and Sikorsky – but negotiations became bogged down following a change of government later that year.

The deal has now been cleared by the nation's defence ministry, and Airbus Helicopters is thrashing out the details of its offset package with the Polish ministry of development.

Guillaume Faury, the airframer's chief executive, describes the discussions as "long and demanding", but thinks they are close to a positive outcome.

"We are now in the final stage of these negotiations and I am of the opinion that we are coming close to a conclusion," he says.

Faury says the talks have been "challenging" and have required the manufacturer to meet "additional expectations" above the original tender.

"We have worked very hard in the last months to fulfill the vast majority of those expectations," he says.

"The negotiations for the offset contract for the purchase of the 50 Caracal multirole helicopters are very difficult," says development minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

"But negotiations like silence, so I can not disclose any details."


Bartosz Glowacki

As part of its offset agreement, Airbus Helicopters had proposed setting up a production line for Caracal in Lodz – there are already plants in France and Brazil – as well engaging local industry as part of its supply chain.

But questions emerged regarding how many of the H225Ms destined for the Polish armed forces would be built locally; Airbus Helicopters was understood to be planning to allow a certain number to be assembled for export to make up the difference.

Faury declines to be drawn on the detail of the offset package, but says that "a total of 50 [Caracals] as a minimum" will be produced in Lodz "both for Poland and for outside Poland".

Export examples could either be the military M-variant or the civil model, he says.

In addition, Polish industry will be able to maintain H225Ms, both for its armed forces and for export customers.

Despite April's fatal crash in Norway of a commercial H225 and subsequent European Aviation Safety Agency grounding of the type for civil operations, Faury says this has not impacted on the Polish negotiations. Military customers continue to fly the platform, he notes.

Meanwhile, Airbus Helicopters continues to wait for a formal tender from Warsaw for its attack helicopter requirement.

Two requests for information were previously issued – the most recent in late 2015 – as the Polish land forces seek to replace a fleet of Mil Mi-24s, but there has been nothing further.

The manufacturer is proposing its Tiger helicopter for the requirement, with the offset package likely to be similar to that offered for the H225M, says Faury.

Additional reporting by Bartosz Glowacki in Kielce

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/airbus-helicopters-edges-closer-to-polish-h225m-deal-429120/
A fighter without a gun . . . is like an airplane without a wing.

-- Brigadier General Robin Olds, USAF.

Poleme

Vergeet het maar, we moeten het de komende decennia gewoon doen met 8 descoped NFH-90's en 20 CH-47F Chinooks.
Nulla tenaci invia est via - Voor de doorzetter is geen weg onbegaanbaar.

Zander

Citaat van: Harald op 09/08/2016 | 17:33 uur
Dat hoop ik eigenlijk ook. Na zo'n update/upgrade kunnen ze nog steeds een flink aantal jaren mee.
Idd kosten effectief, hoge inzet met lage kosten.
En niet onbelangrijk... Maritiem inzetbaar.

Een stuk of 20 zou een strategisch goede investering zijn.
People are sheep

Harald

Citaat van: JdL op 09/08/2016 | 14:40 uur
Hoop nog steeds dat wij onze cougars upgraden naar caraçal standaard en/of nieuwe H225M's kopen. :angel:
Dat hoop ik eigenlijk ook. Na zo'n update/upgrade kunnen ze nog steeds een flink aantal jaren mee.
Idd kosten effectief, hoge inzet met lage kosten.
En niet onbelangrijk... Maritiem inzetbaar.

JdL

Die order kon airbus helicopters wel gebruiken na de mislukking in Polen.
Hoop nog steeds dat wij onze cougars upgraden naar caraçal standaard en/of nieuwe H225M's kopen. :angel:
'The goal is world peace, and to do so you must have strength' Ronald Reagan

StrataNL

-Strata-
Je Maintiendrai! Blog: Krijgsmacht Next-Generation


Harald

Nog een filmpje van de Air-to-Air refueling van de Caracal :



The French Air Force has conducted the first night HAAR (Helicopter Air-to-Air Refueling).

The following video shows a 352nd Special Operations Squadron MC-130J refueling French Air Force Airbus Helicopters H225M Caracals from the Escadron d'Hélicoptères (EH) 1/67 Pyrénées, during the night HAAR (Helicopter Air to Air Refueling) qualification flights conducted at the end of February.

According to Jane's, in October 2015, France conducted its first operational HAAR mission, when a Caracal based in N'djamena, Chad, was refueled by a U.S. KC-130J.

http://theaviationist.com/2016/03/08/watch-this-cool-video-of-an-afsoc-mc-130j-refueling-french-combat-helicopters-at-night/

Sparkplug

Het filmpje gerelateerd aan het artikel in Reactie #93.

A fighter without a gun . . . is like an airplane without a wing.

-- Brigadier General Robin Olds, USAF.

Sparkplug

Een foto als aanvulling op het artikel uit Reactie #94.


The Airbus Helicopters H225M platform equipped with the new HForce GWS system for converting unarmed helicopters into light attack assets. Source: IHS/Gareth Jennings

http://www.janes.com/article/58424/airbus-helicopters-launches-hforce-generic-weapon-system
A fighter without a gun . . . is like an airplane without a wing.

-- Brigadier General Robin Olds, USAF.

Sparkplug

HELI-EXPO: Airbus slashes H225 output, anticipates military rebound

By Dominic Perry, Louisville | 01 March 2016

Airbus Helicopters is to dramatically slash output on its H225 over the next two years as it tries to deal with lower demand from the oil and gas market.

Guillaume Faury, Airbus Helicopters chief executive, says that output of the 11t-class rotorcraft, in both its civil and military guises, will fall to 20-25 units in 2016 and 2017, down from 48 in 2014 and 42 in 2015. This will mostly be "outside the oil and gas industry", he says.

Backlog now stands at around 60-70 helicopters, Faury told a Heli-Expo press conference this morning, which is "lower than we used to have" thanks to a book-to-bill ratio in 2015 - where it took just two orders for the H225 - of less than one.

This was partly driven by a number of large military campaigns, notably Poland, which were not concluded in 2015, he says.

"We were expecting the relay from oil and gas to the military last year, and think this will now be in 2016."

If the H225M succeeds in the three contests in which there are tentative agreements - for a combined 90 helicopters in India, Kuwait and Poland - "then we will have to ramp up again", he says.

Between five to seven of the handovers in 2015 will be made from its Helibras subsidiary, destined for Brazil's armed forces.

However, with Brasilia's economy in crisis and spending slashed, it's contract with the government has "been renegotiated", says Faury "at the request of the customer", slowing the pace of deliveries over the next three years.

Brazil has so far taken delivery of 21 of an eventual 50 helicopters.

Meanwhile, talks continue with Poland's ministry of economic development over Warsaw's planned 50-unit acquisition.

The negotiations are "moving forwards" says Faury, and he "continues to believe" that the contract will be finalised. "It seems there is a positive climate moving forwards," he adds.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/heli-expo-airbus-slashes-h225-output-anticipates-m-422587/
A fighter without a gun . . . is like an airplane without a wing.

-- Brigadier General Robin Olds, USAF.

Sparkplug

HELI-EXPO: Airbus Helicopters launches HForce common weapons system

By Dominic Perry, Louisville | 01 march 2016

Airbus Helicopters has unveiled a common weapons system for its range of civil-derived military helicopters, giving operators an affordable and incremental upgrade path.

In development for the last two years, the new system – dubbed HForce – will initially be available on the H225M, with a number of integration milestones already passed, says Philippe Kohn, operational marketing manager at the manufacturer.

So far ballistic weapons have been added to the 11t-class platform, including an FN Herstal 12.7mm machine gun, Nexter 20mm cannon and 70mm unguided rockets. Live test firings as part of a qualification campaign will take place later this year.

Integration of guided weapons will be complete by year-end, adds Kohn.

Key to HForce is the use of a common Rockwell Collins Deutschland mission management system across the three helicopters initially enrolled in the programme: the 2.5t H125M, the medium-class H145M, and the heavy H225M.

This will allow operators to order the helicopter in a baseline configuration without weapons, yet still retain the ability to easily upgrade them.


Airbus Helicopters

.../...

Zie onderstaande link voor het complete artikel.
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/heli-expo-airbus-helicopters-launches-hforce-common-422514/
A fighter without a gun . . . is like an airplane without a wing.

-- Brigadier General Robin Olds, USAF.

Sparkplug

French conduct first night air-to-air helicopter refuelling

Frédéric Lert, Bordeaux - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly | 25 February 2016


France has qualified its first pilots in night-time air-to-air refuelling with its H225M Caracal helicopters and USAF MC-130J tankers. Source: Frederic Lert

The French Air Force has qualified its first pilots in night-time helicopter air-to-air refuelling (AAR) missions, following a week of trials in partnership with the United States Air Force (USAF).

The trials in France involved Airbus Helicopters H225M Caracals from the Escadron d'Hélicoptères (EH) 1/67 Pyrénées and two Lockheed Martin MC-130J Hercules tankers from the USAF's 352nd Special Operations Wing.

Since the EH 1/67 began operating the Caracal (the first French helicopter with a refuelling probe) in 2006, the squadron has invested heavily in developing AAR. Two-thirds of the unit's crew are said to be fully qualified for daylight operations and the Pyrénées squadron is now moving towards a night-time operational capability. Following a week of dusk and night-time AAR training with the USAF aircraft, by 26 February the 1/67 has qualified seven pilots (including three instructors) in night-time AAR.

Currently France relies on its partners (such as the USAF or Italian Air Force) to provide tankers able to conduct air-to-air helicopter refuelling, although it has ordered two KC-130J tankers to fill this gap, which should be delivered by 2019. France's Airbus A400M Atlas transport aircraft have been purchased with an AAR capability; however turbulence issues have called into question whether the type will ever be able to refuel helicopters.

In October 2015, France conducted its first operational helicopter AAR mission, when a Caracal from 1/67 based in N'djamena was refuelled by a USAF KC-130J. This was followed in December 2015 by a Caracal, along with a crew from the DGA-Essais en vol and a pilot from the 1/67 Pyrénées, being sent to Italy to train with an Italian KC-130J in order to open the flight envelope and write down all procedures for night AAR operations with the H225M. The Pyrénées pilot acted as an instructor for his fellow pilots when the week-long training started on 22 February in Cazaux, the home base of the unit.

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http://www.janes.com/article/58361/french-conduct-first-night-air-to-air-helicopter-refuelling
A fighter without a gun . . . is like an airplane without a wing.

-- Brigadier General Robin Olds, USAF.