Defence Business: MRH90 arrives in Australia | ADM Dec 2007/Jan 2008
By Julian Kerr
The first stage of the rationalisation of the ADF's rotary wing fleet under Project Air 9000 is under way.
The first two MRH90s, which will replace the Blackhawk and Sea King, were due for delivery in December.
Notwithstanding a demanding timetable, the programme to deliver 46 MRH90 multi-role helicopters to the ADF is tracking smoothly and the first two platforms were scheduled to be handed over to the Commonwealth in December.
The MRH90s - the Australian designation for the NH90 - will replace the Army's current fleet of 35 Sikorsky S-70A Blackhawks and the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN's) remaining six Westland Mk50 utility helicopters at a cost of $4.2 billion.
The Sea Kings will be retired in 2010, followed by the Blackhawks which will be progressively replaced between 2011 and 2015.
Two of the four MRH90 being assembled at Eurocopter headquarters at Marignane in France after manufacture by NH Industries (NHI) arrived at the Brisbane facility of Australian Aerospace, a wholly-owned Eurocopter subsidiary, in mid-November aboard a leased Antonov freighter.
They were returned to flight condition and test-flown by Australian Aerospace crews prior to the handover.
MRH 1 is continuing test and evaluation flying in Europe and MRH 4 is in the final stages of ground test.
Both will be delivered to Australia towards the middle of 2008. The first four of the 42 helicopters to be assembled in Australia are now in work at the Brisbane facility.
The first will begin its test phase in mid-2008 ready for handover in December 2008 and deliveries will then run at seven to nine aircraft a year, concluding in 2014.
According to Brigadier Andrew Dudgeon, Director-General Army Aviation Systems in the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO), by comparison to the Blackhawk the MRH90 can carry more soldiers further and faster and its forward-looking infrared (FLIR) and weather radar are major force-enhancers.
The MRH90 can transport 20 troops in crashworthy seats compared to the Blackhawk's 11, or 12 stretchers compared to four. Its maximum range is 800 km compared to 563 km, and its top cruising speed is 305 km/h against 300 km/h.
With the NH90 on order for 14 countries, including nine for New Zealand, Australian Aerospace acknowledges that the international nature of the program increases the contractual and relationship complications.
However, it maintains strong project management, including new supply and assembly processes developed by Eurocopter from which the Australian operation will benefit, is overcoming this.
Positive relationship
Additionally, the relationship between DMO and Australian Aerospace had been assessed as "very good" by the most recent DMO scorecard, and this had significantly contributed to meeting the contracted requirements on schedule.
Australian Aerospace announced in 2006 that it would invest some $15 million in a state-of-the-art composite fibre manufacturing plant in Brisbane, and initial manufacturing trials are expected to begin there in the third quarter of 2008.
At full production levels the 5,000 square metre plant will employ up to 70 people.
It will manufacture structural fuselage shells for the MRH 90 and the Tiger Armed Reconnaissance helicopter (ARH) to meet both Australian and international requirements.
A large number of smaller, non-structural MRH 90 and Tiger components will also be manufactured at the facility, while structural repair of composite fuselage components will also be possible in the future.
The all-important MRH90 Airworthiness Board (AwB) was scheduled for 27 November.
The AwB submission was prepared by the Commonwealth based on the MRH Project Engineering Manager's Design Acceptance.
This in turn was supported by a qualification recommendation from the French Airworthiness Authority and attestation from each of the Commonwealth MRH 90 functional leads - (qualification, training, logistics, safety etc) - that assessed the suitability of the MRH System to conduct and support operations under a Special Flight Permit.
The AwB submission, Design Acceptance and functional attestations were underpinned by Australian Aerospace's Design Approval Certificate.
This references the Australian Aerospace and NHI documentation, which defines the configuration and certifies compliance to contractual and airworthiness requirements.
According to Australian Aerospace, the NHI documentation relies heavily on the qualification of other NH90 variants, supplemented by unique verification activities performed for Australia.
Australia's MRH 90 is based on the German NH 90 Tactical Transport Helicopter (TTH) variant, and this achieved German type certification in December 2006.
On target
Meanwhile, development of a compliant Variable Message Format (VMF) data link is underway by NHI for the aircraft and Thales Australia for the Ground Mission Management System (GMMS), and final aircraft integration and testing is scheduled for early 2009.
The GMSS itself has completed its Detailed Design Review and is currently on track to be tested and have the first deliveries accepted in 2008.
The MRH Software Support Centre has also passed its Detailed Design Review and the hardware for the Software Development Environment is currently collocated with the existing ARH Software Support Centre at Australian Aerospace's Brisbane plant.
Purchase of a Full Flight and Mission Simulator (FFMS) capability for the MRH 90 is being progressed outside the MRH acquisition contract.
Australian Aerospace said it and Eurocopter did not intend bidding for the FFMS contract but would contribute as a subcontractor to the winning bidder by providing the required aircraft data pack.
Copyright - Australian Defence Magazine, December 2007/January 2008