New Zealand indeed to buy additional Kaman SH-2 Seasprites..

[Stratofreighter]

http://www.shephardmedia.com/news/rotor ... lian-seas/

Kaman confident of securing future of ex-Australian Seasprites
18 May 2012 - 9:08

Kaman Helicopters is confident of securing contract award for 11 Seasprite helicopters by the end of the year, following New Zealand government interest in the refurbished aircraft.

A spokesman for the company said Kaman was in discussions with several nations, including New Zealand,
and the aircraft need only to be reactivated to be delivered, although any modifications would of course delay that.

'The airframes have been zero timed and would therefore have the standard 10,000 hours service life as per a new manufactured airframe.

This was determined by a NAVAIR approved full fatigue test to 20,000 hours. If any nation did reach 10,000 hours, the justification is already there for a SLEP [service life extension programme],' the spokesman said.

The package also includes a full motion simulator and spares, which are available for immediate delivery.

Des Ashton, Deputy Secretary of Defence at New Zealand's Ministry of Defence (MoD) acquisition division,
told Shephard that any delivery schedule would be established as part of the negotiation process but was not likely to commence until at least a year after any government approval.

'I must stress that at this stage the New Zealand government has authorised the Ministry of Defence to enter negotiations with Kaman but no investment decisions have been made by the government at this time,' Ashton said.

'The delivery schedule would depend on the degree of modification that is required to meet New Zealand requirements (e.g. Maverick replacing Penguin).

New Zealand is looking at the 11 aircraft, which were rejected by Australia in 2008 following recurring integration and airworthiness issues, as a possible replacement for its existing fleet of five SH-2G Seasprites.

Ashton confirmed that the aircraft were expected to have a 10,000 hour life after being 'zero-lifed' by Kaman through a refurbishment and modification programme between 2003 and 2005.

The 11 aircraft only have ‘delivery mileage’ of around 225 hours per aircraft on average.

New Zealand is unlikely to press all 11 into service and some aircraft will be kept for spare parts or as attrition replacements.

Ashton said a review of airworthiness had been carried out by independent experts Marinvent Corporation and New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and MoD teams.

'This includes an assessment of the work carried out on the aircraft and systems by Kaman subsequent to the cancellation of the Australian programme taking into account New Zealand's operation requirements. Further work is continuing on aspects such as qualification and certification,' he stated.

A 'gateway' review of the project has also been carried by an independent team of experts sourced from the public and private sectors in New Zealand and overseas.

However, the project has attracted the ire of opposition party Labour, whose defence spokesman Iain Lees-Galloway said that the NZDF deserves better than 'cheap cast-offs that the current owner is desperately trying to get rid of.'

'The Australian Seasprites are an internationally notorious example of defence procurement gone horribly wrong after attempts to build bespoke capability from scratch resulted in massive cost blow outs for the Australian Defence Force,' Lees-Galloway said in a statement.

'The last thing we need is to find we have more defence equipment that no one can help us with if it breaks down.'

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http://www.janes.com/products/janes/def ... 1065975805

New Zealand considers Super Seasprite helicopters for navy requirement

2/1/2013
1 February 2013

The New Zealand Ministry of Defence (MoD) is undertaking a final review of SH-2G Super Seasprite helicopters that were previously rejected by the Australian government, in support of a formal bid for the aircraft.

Des Ashton, deputy secretary of Defence (Acquisition) in the MoD, told IHS Jane's that the assessment, a final evaluation of the helicopters' airworthiness,
was under way on 31 January before the submission of a proposal to government to procure the helicopters.

"We are looking at that [the purchase of the helicopters] very actively," he said.

"We have a gateway review going on right now - today - and basically we are...determining whether we can put a viable proposal through to our government."

Ashton added: "We are looking at this [helicopter] as the preferred option for retaining a naval helicopter capability [within the Royal New Zealand Navy]."

The potential purchase could be worth up to about USD200 million and includes 11 helicopters, a flight simulator, training devices, spares, and associated equipment.

New Zealand's interest in the Super Seasprites emerged in early 2012 and was followed by an initial gateway review of the aircraft, assessing any risks associated with the bid,
which was undertaken by New Zealand's State Services Commission, which provides oversight of government procurement.

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http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1304/S ... proved.htm

Seasprite helicopter project approved

Friday, 19 April 2013, 10:06 am
Press Release: New Zealand Government

19 April 2013

Seasprite helicopter project approved


Defence Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman says the government has approved the purchase of an upgraded and expanded Seasprite helicopter fleet for the New Zealand Defence Force.


A total of eight Seasprites (plus two spare airframes)
will be purchased from the United States company Kaman Aerospace in a $242 million dollar deal,
which includes a training simulator,
missiles, and additional components.

“The Defence Force currently has five Seasprites which have been in service since the late1990s and are due for replacement,” said Dr Coleman.

“This package from Kaman Aerospace will provide the Navy with an upgraded variant, the Seasprite SH-2G(I),
and increase the fleet from five to eight helicopters.

It will allow helicopters to be embarked on the two ANZAC-class frigates (TE MANA and TE KAHA) as well as the offshore patrol vessels and the multi-role ship HMNZS CANTERBURY,” he said.

“These helicopters come with modernised sensor, weapons and flight control systems and will be a major boost to our maritime surveillance and search capability.

The helicopters will also ensure that our naval fleet is able to operate at its full potential,” said Dr Coleman.


The replacement helicopters were originally built for the Australian Defence Force.

In 2009 the Australian government elected to cancel the contract and not to introduce them into service after questions about their suitability to meet Australia’s requirements.


“The New Zealand Defence Force and Ministry of Defence officials are acutely aware that the Australian government decided not to fully introduce these aircraft into service after concerns about a range of technical issues,” said Dr Coleman.

The replacement Seasprites will have a multiplier effect on the capability of the Navy and what’s more the price is very good with alternative helicopter replacements costing three times the amount,” said Dr Coleman.

ENDS

Questions & Answers


Why do we need new helicopters?


· The current Seasprite fleet is nearly 15 years old and some of the systems are failing.

Spare parts are becoming scarce. Manufacturers no longer support some of the systems, and newer versions have improved capabilities.

· The current fleet of five helicopters is too small.
Only two aircraft are regularly available for use on the Navy’s ships (one is used for training and two are in maintenance).

· Five of the Navy’s ships can operate a helicopter. This is up from three when the current Seasprites were acquired.
To get full value from our investment in the frigates and other naval vessels, we need a larger fleet of helicopters with upgraded components and better communications capability.


What does the Kaman package include?


· The Kaman package consists of ten Super Seasprite helicopters (two will be used as spares), a full motion flight simulator, training aids, spares inventory and publications.


How do the new aircraft differ from the current fleet?


· The new aircraft have updated flight control systems and modern radar and sensors. They also have a modern communications system that allows sensor data to be shared between the helicopter and ship.


· The new sensors provide a much greater range and ability for surveillance and search and rescue.


Has the NZDF tested the aircraft?


· Defence Force personnel have conducted several evaluation flights in one of these helicopters.
The pilot and crew members were impressed by the step-up in capabilities these new aircraft will bring to the Defence Force.


· Separately, Marinvent Corporation, the Canadian airworthiness expert contracted by Defence to examine the aircraft, were involved in flight trials as part of their own evaluation process.


What missile does the new Seasprite carry?


· Our current fleet of Seasprites carries a Maverick missile, which is a general-purpose air-to-surface missile, designed for use against ground targets and shipping.
The new aircraft will carry the Penguin missile, which is an anti-ship missile.


· The Penguin is a better missile.
It is bigger, faster, has a warhead three times the size of the Maverick, has twice the range, and once launched the aircraft is free to turn-away.
The Penguin can also perform random weaving manoeuvres and strike the target close to the waterline, making it more difficult to counter.

Are these new aircraft?


· Unlike the current New Zealand Seasprite fleet which were new at the time of purchase, Australia chose to refurbish former US Navy airframes.


· The practice of refurbishing airframes is common. It involves a complete re-build of the body to a point where it is regarded as new and the fitting of new avionics, engines, wiring, software, fittings, and weapons and sensor systems.
The aircraft have a service life out to 2030.


· Refurbished aircraft are common to all defence forces, and the Seasprite airframes will be no different in age to our upgraded C-130 Hercules and P3K2 Orions,
except the entire Seasprite fleet only has a total of 1200 flying hours.


Why would these helicopters be suitable when Australia cancelled its contract?


· At the time Australia bought 11 Seasprites for $1 billion but decided to add bespoke enhancements, including a sophisticated computer controlled flight operating system.

After a series of delays, project management issues, and cost over-runs the Australian government cancelled the project.


· A key issue was the Australian Defence Force specified an aircraft that could be flown by a two-person crew and have a computer flight system that could operate the aircraft with “no hands” on the controls.


· The NZDF has a different requirement.

It will operate the aircraft with a three-person crew,
as is current practice with its standard operating procedure for pilots to retain a hold on the controls at all times.
The “no-hands” requirement is not being adopted.


· All other technical issues have been resolved by Kaman who continued to further develop the aircraft after Australia cancelled the contract.


When will the aircraft arrive?


· The aircraft are currently in storage in Connecticut, USA. They will need to be returned to flying condition, and undergo some minor modifications to suit New Zealand’s requirements.

The NZDF will undertake the usual airworthiness and certification process in preparation for operational flying.

· The first three aircraft are due in New Zealand in late 2014. The fleet should all be in service during 2016.


What is a breakdown in the purchase price?


The purchase price includes $US120 million (about $NZ147 million) for the 8 aircraft going into service and two further airframes.

The additional project costs are for missiles, the flight simulator, ship decklock modification, additional components, testing and introduction into service activities.


Ends