As the UK prepares to divest itself of four legacy rotorcraft fleets, to be superseded by a single solution under the MoD’s New Medium Helicopter programme, who will be the winner in the race to secure the meaty new £1 billion-plus contract – and why is it happening now?
Mostly, it’s an ‘age thing’, with the formal process of replacing the RAF’s long-serving Airbus Puma HC2 support fleet kickstarted earlier this year by the publication of ‘Global Britain in a Competitive Age: the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy’ document. At that time, the British government notably billed this as the “biggest review of the UK’s defence and security since the end of the Cold War”. This committed the UK to acquiring a fleet of new medium-lift helicopters by the mid-2020s.
The contract, set to run from 2023 to 2028, would also include air and ground crew training, as well as in-service technical support and maintenance. Although no contract start date has been indicated as yet, it is specified as running for seven years from the date of award. Invitations to tender were expected to be issued by the MoD by 30 September this year.
On their way out will be the Westland Puma, Bell’s 212 and 412 models and Airbus Dauphin, all expected to be replaced by a single new model.
The companies that have their sights set on capturing the contract most certainly include Leonardo, Airbus, Sikorsky, Bell and AceHawk Aerospace, and other contenders expected to take part are Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
US manufacturer Bell has proposed that the UK wait for its 525 Relentless model to be certified, likely by the October-December period this year. Some of the subcontractors involved in the 525 are British, the reasoning being that this might lay the groundwork for a domestic production deal.
For its part, Airbus Helicopters has indicated it will offer a military version of the H175, designated as the H175M. It would be manufactured at Airbus’s Broughton facility, located at Hawarden Airport in Wales. One named Airbus strategic partner is Babcock International, which would provide in-service support at military locations, while ejection seat supplier Martin-Baker would deliver specialist troop seating and cabin integration. Spirit AeroSystems would undertake detailed design and manufacturing work at its facilities in Belfast (Northern Ireland) and Prestwick (Scotland). The fourth named partner is Pratt & Whitney Canada, which would supply and support the H175M’s PT6C-67E engines.
“If selected, the H175M Task Force will create hundreds of new jobs and sustain thousands more throughout the UK rotary supply chain in the years ahead,” states new managing director of Airbus Helicopters in the UK, Lenny Brown. “The H175M has the potential to reinvigorate the UK’s helicopter industry by addressing an export market estimated at nearly 500 aircraft worldwide.”
More than 70 UK companies make up the onshore Team AW149 UK supply chain for Leonardo’s latest-generation military AW149 helicopter, which is being put forward for the NMH requirement. If successful, the AW149 would be built at Leonardo’s helicopter manufacturing site in Yeovil, Somerset. The company has pledged that 60-70% of the platform’s content and through-life support would be carried out onshore in the UK at Leonardo and through UK suppliers. “We have already trained engineers in Yeovil to specialise in AW149 production,” says Gian Piero Cutillo, managing director of Leonardo Helicopters (pictured below). “We have now also made the necessary infrastructure investment to be ready for the localised build of AW149s, leveraging commonalities with the AW189 that we have previously produced on-site in Yeovil. Proactively refreshing these capabilities provides further evidence of our strong commitment to deliver the best onshore offer for the NMH programme.”
Teesside-based AceHawk Aerospace will offer secondhand UH-60 Black Hawks, upgraded to ML-70 standard in the UK. AceHawk says its proposal would allow the UK to acquire the tried-and-tested Black Hawk – a battlefield utility helicopter with more than 15 million flight hours, including two million hours in combat, under its belt – at a highly affordable price. Lockheed Martin-owned Sikorsky is expected to offer the S-70M Black Hawk. Other NMH bidders could include Bell (potentially pitching the 412EPX) and Boeing.
Engine manufacturer GE Aviation is offering itself as the engine supplier for most of the helicopters vying for the contract, emphasising maintenance and sustainable fuel benefits. Leonardo is expected to choose between the General Electric (GE) CT7-2E1 and the Safran Aneto-1K to power the AW149 in its bid for the NMH requirement. Both engine manufacturers are promoting their use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), the track record of their engines and commonality with other powerplants in UK service. At a press event in March, Safran’s chief executive officer of helicopter engines, Nick Earl, advocated the engine’s high power, RTM322 heritage and the use of SAF, with the Royal Air Force known to be “particularly keen” on SAF, according to the defence intelligence agency Janes.
The Aneto can take 50% SAF now and will be cleared for 100% SAF in two to three years, it is claimed. Approximately 75% of Safran’s research and development budget is for environmental programmes, adds Earl. The Aneto puts out 2,500shp (shaft horsepower), whereas the CT7 is 2,000shp, so the Aneto would be better suited in extreme hot/high situations, but would use more fuel. The CT7 is lighter, allowing for a heavier payload.
“Our CT7-2E1 engine for the AW149/AW189 is rated at around 2,000shp, which has been optimised for the aircraft operating envelope,” comments Bjorn Gidner, GE’s regional vice-president sales, covering Europe, Turkey, India, Japan, and Taiwan. “We also believe that the engine weight, lower fuel burn and maintenance cost advantages of the CT7-2E1, in comparison to our competition, is favourable for nearly every mission.”
Those wanting to make their pitches in the MoD competition had to complete a dynamic pre-qualification questionnaire (DPQQ) by 20 June. Invitations to tender will be sent out on 30 September this year. No date is specified for first delivery, but the 23-strong Puma fleet is due to be retired from service in 2025.
UNCREWED SUB DETECTOR
The Ministry of Defence has awarded a £60 million contract to Leonardo to design and develop a cutting-edge uncrewed helicopter. The three-tonne demonstrator – less than a third of the weight of a Merlin helicopter – could provide an intriguing alternative to existing aircraft for tracking adversary submarines.
Trials will test the capability of the aircraft to drop ‘sonobuoys’ – small tube-shaped buoys that track and communicate submarine activity – enabling the aircraft to alert a crewed helicopter and call for support if a submarine is located. The platform will also serve as a means to reduce exposure of Royal Navy crews to potential threats. Dubbed ‘Project Proteus’, the contract will support up to 100 engineering jobs at Leonardo in Yeovil.