Text Fwd: Navy looking for 20 new anti-sub helicopters by 2014

NHIndustries NH90 helicopter

Korea Times
05-25-2010 19:34
[Exclusive] Navy looking for 20 new anti-sub helicopters by 2014
By Jung Sung-ki
Staff reporter

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) will open bidding for the procurement of new helicopters for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and naval operations in coming months, a military source said Tuesday.

The timeline for the project, which was originally scheduled to begin next year, has been advanced as part of efforts to bolster the country's coastal defenses against North Korean incursions, the source said on condition of anonymity.

The move apparently follows the sinking of a South Korean warship on March 26. Investigators confirmed last week that a North Korean submarine fired a homing torpedo that exploded under the frigate Cheonan, splitting it in two and killing 46 crewmembers.

The Navy temporarily suspended its fleet of anti-submarine Lynx helicopters last month after two of the aircraft crashed. The service had operated 25 Lynxes for anti-submarine and surface warfare.

"The Navy requested the Joint Chiefs of Staff last month to purchase new anti-submarine helicopters earlier than scheduled in an effort to beef up its maritime defense against the infiltration of North Korean submarines," the source told The Korea Times.

DAPA will release a request for proposal (RfP) for the purchase of anti-submarine helicopters to local and foreign manufacturers wishing to participate in the project, he said. The RfP would call for buying 20 ASW helicopters by 2014, he added.

In a related move, the Weapons Systems Concept Development and Application Research Center of Konkuk University, commissioned by DAPA to examine the feasibility of the program, suggested last month that buying a foreign ASW helicopter would be more effective than modifying the Surion utility helicopter developed by Korea Aerospace Industries, according to the source.

KAI, South Korea's only aircraft maker, rolled out the first prototype of the Surion in July last year. The 8.7 metric ton class aircraft was co-developed by Eurocopter.

The company argues Surion's modified variants could be able to meet the required operational capabilities for attack, landing/maritime operations, evacuation or firefighting.

But some critics say the Surion built for Army operations is inherently unstable to conduct maritime/anti-submarine operations. Surion's maritime version is expected to be operational by 2017, too late for the required timeline, they say.

In the feasibility report to DAPA, the center mentioned potential candidates. It referred to the European NH90 helicopter as an option. Other candidates include the U.S. Sikorsky's MH-60, a Surion naval variant and the Future Lynx developed by the U.K.-Italy helicopter maker, AgustaWestland. Sikorsky S-76 was also mentioned as a candidate.

The NH90 built by a consortium that includes three companies ― AgustaWestland, Eurocopter, Stork Fokker ― is a medium-sized, twin-engine helicopter whose maiden flight was made in 1995. It has been ordered by several nations including Germany, Spain, Italy and France.

The 16-meter-long helicopter can carry two pilots and has a seating capacity of 20 troops. It has a top speed of 300 km/h and a range of 800 kilometers. The helicopter is equipped with infrared and night vision systems and can therefore operate in darkness and adverse weather.

Its state-of-the-art sonar can detect submarines at great distances. It is armed with two torpedoes and a heavy 12.7 mm machine gun. The aircraft also features self-defense systems in the form of flares against missiles.