Royal Australian Navy Combat Helicopter Competition

The Royal Australian Navy requires 24 Naval Combat Helicopters and is to hold a competition “in the next few months,” with a final decision likely in 2011. The value of the contract is estimated at AUD1.5 billion (USD1.3 billion) and first deliveries would be made in 2014 to coincide with the delivery of the first of three Air Warfare Destroyers and the first of its two 27,000-ton Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) amphibious ships.

Likely contenders are the Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky MH-60R and the NH Industries NATO Frigate Helicopter (NFH). The NH-90 would be marketed by Australian Aerospace, which is: a wholly owned subsidiary of Eurocopter, itself part of the NHI consortium.

Primary roles of the helicopters will be anti-submarine, surveillance and anti-surface warfare. They will replace 16 ageing S-70B-2 Seahawk helicopters. The Super Seasprite programme, which was to have replaced the Seahawks, was cancelled in March 2007.

The RAN’s requirement is for at least eight helicopters to be embarked on ships at sea, at any one time.