헬리콥터 호주, UH-60M 블랙호크 40기 도입 FMS 허가

[위종민]

호주가 UH-60M 40기와 예비엔진 8기를 포함한 각종 장비 도입 FMS 허가를 받았습니다. 금액은 19억 5천만 달러네요. 대당 4,875만 달러.. 

현재 47기가 운용중인 MRH-90 타이판(NH-90)을 대체할 예정입니다. 

https://www.dsca.mil/press-media/major-arms-sales/australia-uh-60m-black-hawk-helicopters

Australia – UH-60M Black Hawk Helicopters

5-7 minutes

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WASHINGTON, August 25, 2022 - The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Australia of UH-60M Black Hawk Helicopters and related equipment for an estimated cost of $1.95 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.

The Government of Australia has requested to buy forty (40) UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters; eighty-eight(88) T700-GE 701D engines (80 installed, 8 spares); forty-four (44) AN/AAR-57 Counter Missile Warning Systems (CMWS) (40 installed, 4 spares); and ninety-six (96) H-764U Embedded Global Position Systems with Inertial Navigation (EGI) and Country Unique SAASM (or future replacement) (80 installed, 16 spares). Also included are AN/ARC-231 RT-1808A (or future replacement) VHF/UHF/LOS SATCOM radios; APR-39C(V)1/4 Radar Warning Receivers; AVR-2B Laser Detecting Sets; APX-123A Identification Friend or Foe Transponder; ARC-220 High Frequency (HF) radio with KY-100M; VRC-100 Ground Stations; AN/PYQ-10 Simple Key Loader (SKL); KIV-77 Common Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) Applique Crypto Computers; KY-100M COMSEC Encryption devices; AN/ARN-147(V) Very High Frequency Omni-Directional Range(VOR)/Instrument Landing System (ILS) receiver radio; AN/ARN-149(V) Low Frequency (LF)/Automatic Direction Finder (ADF) radio receiver; AN/ARN-153 Tactical Air Navigation System (TACAN) receiver transmitter; AN/APN-209 radar altimeter; AN/ARC-210 radios; EBC-406HM Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT); Encrypted Aircraft Wireless Intercommunications Systems (EAWIS); Improved Heads Up Display (IHUD); Signal Data Converters for IHUD; Blue Force Trackers (BFT-2); Improved Data Modems (IDM); Color Weather Radars; MX-10D EO/IR with Laser Designator; EO/IR Cabin Monitoring Systems; EO/IR Digital Video Recorder; AN/ARC-201D RT-1478D; Engine Inlet Barrier Filters (EIBF); Ballistic Armor Protection Systems (BAPS); Internal Auxiliary Fuel Tank Systems (IAFTS); Fast Rope Insertion Extraction System (FRIES); External Rescue Hoist (ERH); Rescue Hoist Equipment Sets; Dual Patient Litter System (DPLS) Sets; Martin Baker Palletized Crew Chief/Gunner Seats with crashworthy floor structural modifications; External Stores Support System (ESSS); Integrated Tow Plates Production Assets; Universal Software Loading Kits; 60kVA Generator Kits; Instrument Panel sets; External Gun Mount Systems; Black Hawk Aircrew Trainer (BAT); Black Hawk Maintenance Trainer (BHMT-M); Black Hawk Avionics Trainer; Maintenance Blended Reconfigurable Avionics Trainer (MBRAT); training devices; helmets; transportation; organizational equipment; spare and repair parts; support equipment; tools and test equipment; technical data and publications; personnel training and training equipment; U.S. government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated total cost is $1.95 billion.

This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States. Australia is one of our most important allies in the Western Pacific. The strategic location of this political and economic power contributes significantly to ensuring peace and economic stability in the region. It is vital to the U.S. national interest to assist our ally in developing and maintaining a strong and ready self-defense capability.

The proposed sale will replace Australia’s current multi-role helicopter fleet with a more reliable and proven system that will allow Australia to maintain the appropriate level of readiness to conduct combined operations. The UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter will improve the Australian Army’s ability to deploy combat power to share Australia’s strategic environment, deter actions against its interests, and, when required, respond with credible force. Australia will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces.

The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.

The principal contractor will be Lockheed Martin, Bethesda, MD. The purchaser typically requests offsets. There are no known offset agreements. Any future offset agreement would be defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the contractor(s).

Implementation of this proposed sale will require the assignment of no U.S. Government and five (5) U.S. contractor representatives in Australia for a period of three years.

There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.

This notice of a potential sale is required by law. The description and dollar value is for the highest estimated quantity and dollar value based on initial requirements. Actual dollar value will be lower depending on final requirements, budget authority, and signed sales agreement(s), if and when concluded.

All questions regarding this proposed Foreign Military Sale should be directed to the State Department's Bureau of Political Military Affairs, Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, pm-cpa@state.gov.

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https://www.flightglobal.com/helicopters/australia-plans-early-retirement-for-nh90-helicopters-as-it-lines-up-black-hawk-order/146797.article

Australia plans early retirement for NH90 helicopters as it lines up Black Hawk order

Australia plans early retirement for NH90 helicopters as it lines up Black Hawk order

Exclusive partner Pratt & Whitney

4-5 minutes

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Australia has decided to ditch its fleet of 47 NH Industries NH90s in favour of the Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk, blaming the “unreliability” and cost of the European helicopter.

Locally designated as the MRH90 Taipan, the 11t-class helicopter has had a troubled history since entering Australian service in 2014. Over that period the fleet has been unable to fly on nine occasions and has been a “project of concern for the last decade”, says defence minister Peter Dutton, who brands the Taipan’s issues as “unresolvable”.

Canberra says it intends to purchase up to 40 UH-60Ms – partly to replace its legacy S-70 Black Hawks and also to enable the early retirement of the Taipan fleet, which was due to remain in service until 2037.

Australia is “formally requesting advice” on the acquisition of up to 40 UH-60Ms, the defence department says, as it develops “detailed options” on the MRH90’s replacement prior to any final decision.

The MRH90 is currently used by the Australian Army as its utility helicopter, including for special operations missions, and provides a maritime support capability for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

“The Black Hawk replacement is also going to be incredibly efficient. It will be much cheaper to run than the current Taipans, and we’ve found the Taipans to be unreliable.

“They haven’t lived up to expectations, and if we want the safest possible airframe for the men and women of the Australian Defence Force, then the Black Hawk was the obvious choice,” he says.

Dutton also flags that the UH-60M will be “interoperable with our counterparts and with our allies”, notably the USA, where the Black Hawk is the “favoured platform”.

He claims the acquisition of the new helicopters and early retirement of the MRH90s will save around A$2.5 billion ($1.78 billion) in the period to 2037, as “the Black Hawk is so much cheaper on a per-hour basis to run than the existing Taipan.

“The Taipan is unreliable, there’s a lot of money that’s spent on maintenance and a lot of downtime of our pilots and crews who should be up training and they should be flying these helicopters, and at the moment, in many cases, they just can’t,” he says. The MRH90 has not met contracted availability requirements nor the expected cost of ownership, notes the defence department.

A new helicopter capability is needed “sooner rather than later” says Dutton, who is hopeful the Black Hawks will begin arriving “over the next couple of years”.

NH Industries is a three-way consortium comprising Airbus Helicopters, Fokker and Leonardo Helicopters. The majority of Canberra’s NH90s were locally assembled by Airbus subsidiary Australian Aerospace.

The rejection of the Taipan is the latest blow to Airbus Helicopters in Australia, following the earlier decision to retire the army’s fleet of Tiger attack helicopters – which have experienced similar reliability issues – and replace them with Boeing AH-64E Apaches.

It also risks worsening Canberra’s relations with France, which are already strained due to the fall-out from the cancellation of a submarine contract with Paris-headquartered Naval Group in favour of US-built vessels.

But Dutton plays down the consequences of the latest move, noting that the manufacturer is well aware of its problems.

“I’ve spoken to the CEO of the company involved about my concerns a number of months ago, and [the Department of] Defence has been working constantly with the company to try and resolve the issues, but clearly they are unresolvable, and for that reason we’ve made the decision to terminate that programme and to go with the Black Hawk programme,” he says.

The MRH90’s problems are even responsible for the size of Australia’s fleet: although the country ordered 46 examples, Airbus Helicopters eventually offered a free helicopter as compensation for delivery delays.

On 8 October, the US Department of State approved the sale of 12 Sikorsky MH-60R anti-submarine warfare helicopters to the RAN in a deal worth almost $1 billion, adding to the 23 examples already in service.

[백선호]

옛날에는 NH90, CV90, AS-90, NFR-90 등등 이름에 "90"이 들어가면 뭔가 있어 보였는데... 이제 90년대도 30년 전이네요.

[위종민]

ID에 생년을 넣은 게 요즘은 조금씩 후회됩니다 ㅎㅎ