News

Australia confirms Seahawk sustainment and replacement project timings

May 15, 2009

Australia’s government will proceed with initial approvals for the Royal Australian Navy’s project Air 9000 phase 8 future naval aviation combat system requirement before the end of this calendar year, alongside an expected funding decision for a second stage to its existing Sikorsky SH-70B-2 Seahawk capability assurance programme (or SCAP).

The Air 9000 phase 8 requirement is for a fleet of at least 24 helicopters to replace the RAN Seahawk fleet with the project identified earlier this month by the Australian government as having urgent status.

Australia’s defence budget for FY2009-2010, released this week, identify Air 9000 phase 8 as one of a group of “significant defence capability plan projects to be considered for first pass approvals in 2009-2010”.

Australia’s two tier government approvals system for defence acquisition is based on an initial review – or ‘first pass’ - resulting in permission to explore potential solutions with a view to identifying firm capability pricing, followed by ‘second pass’ which allows a project to proceed to contract with an identified provider.

The budget papers confirm that the existing project Air 9000 SCAP effort launched last year to ensure Seahawk life of type to 2019 is being augmented.

SCAP 2 has not previously been identified by the Australian Department of Defence in its biannual public capability plans, the last of which was released in 2006. The second pass status means the project was given first pass approvals during the current Australian financial year ending 30 June.

SCAP 1 was first revealed by the May 2008 Australian defence budget papers, which advised that the project had been established in place of the former Air 9000 phase three Seahawk midlife upgrade project.

The RAN operates 16 Seahawks with these projected to achieve a fleet total of 3,400 flight hours in the coming financial year. That represents a 10.9 percent increase of the projected fleet total of 3,100 flight hours in the current year.

Forward projections indicate a fleet target of 3,600 flying hours for 2010-2011 with this rising again to a target of 4,200 flying hours per year in 2011-2012 and 2012-2013.

The budget papers advise that the planned increases are a direct result of “an additional tasking burden in the absence of the [Kaman SH-2(G)A] Seasprite helicopters until a replacement capability is introduced under Air 9000 phase 8.”

Australia cancelled its order for 11 SH-2(G)A in March 2008.

This week's defence budget papers advise that the main sustainment challenges facing the Seahawk fleet “are largely related to airframe corrosion and system obsolescence issues.

“These are being actively managed by the Defence Materiel Organisation in consultation with the Navy and the SCAP.”

Total sustainment spending on the Seahawk fleet during FY2009-2010 is forecast by the budget papers at $A85 million

By Peter La Franchi / Canberra