Defence: Helicopter makers prepare for Turkish face-off
"AgustaWestland needs to pursue all opportunities and chances in the helicopter field," Crosetto said in Istanbul earlier this year. "They will have to fight in a tight market." In November the pan-European Eurocopter became the latest major rotary-wing aircraft maker to announce it would also seek to win Turkey's light utility helicopter contract.
Tuesday, 27 December 2011
(ANSAmed) - ANKARA, DECEMBER 20 - Many of the world's major helicopter manufacturers are expected to compete for a multibillion dollar contract to potentially co-produce thousands of light utility choppers in Turkey's upcoming large-scale helicopter tender, as daily Hurriyet reports. The U.S. Sikorsky Aircraft, which won a separate 3.5 billion USD competition to lead the production of more than 100 larger utility helicopters for Turkey over Italy's AgustaWestland in spring 2011, became the first major international company to formally announce it would also seek to win the light utility helicopter contest in May. At the time, procurement chief Murad Bayar said Turkey would soon begin to design and develop a military and civilian light utility helicopter, probably with a foreign partner and possibly with Sikorsky Aircraft. Bayar said Sikorsky, a leading manufacturer of various rotary-wing aircraft, did not have a helicopter in the category of light utility platforms, which weigh between 4,500 kg and 5,500 kg, the type of chopper Turkey wants to develop. "Turkey and Sikorsky Aircraft can work on this matter together. If it happens, it happens. If it does not, we are ready to work with any other company," Bayar said. Sikorsky has teamed up with Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) in the co-production of the larger T-70 utility helicopter, a Turkish version of the U.S. S-70i Black Hawk International. Later, an AgustaWestland official said, "We will be available for Turkey if Turkey wants to work with us." His remarks were in line with advice by former Italian Deputy Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, who had urged AgustaWestland to pursue all helicopter competitions.
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