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AW139 fit for purpose?

  • 12-03-2012 9:47pm
    #1
    Achilles1599
    Registered Users Posts: 10 ✭


    do you think the air corp wasted the 20 million per aircraft when they could have picked some better designs like the UH-60 black hawk? any would other helicopters could have competed for the role instead of the AW139?


Comments

  • #2
    goldie fish
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,195 ✭✭✭goldie fish


    No.
    No
    They did.

    Next question/.


  • #3
    OS119
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,518 ✭✭✭OS119


    Achilles1599 wrote: »
    do you think the air corp wasted the 20 million per aircraft when they could have picked some better designs like the UH-60 black hawk? any would other helicopters could have competed for the role instead of the AW139?

    fit for purpose?

    depends on what you think they were bought for: if it was moving Irish soldiers, equipment and underslung L118's around various sandy places in support of Irish units undertaking difficult and demanding PSO's, then probably not - if however you think it was to deliver ministers to 'the Galway tent' or the opening of an Off Licence in comfort while providing the AC Aircrew with experience of flying executive helicopters while offering a semi-plausible fig-leaf to an Army desperate to get some airmobility, then they were a good buy.

    can you tell that i'm a bit cynical?

    a less controversial point is that the IAC is the first customer to use the 139 in a military role - and so far the only one. it has, from what one hears, not been a happy path of discovery.


  • #4
    xflyer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,787 ✭✭✭xflyer


    goldie fish wrote: »
    No.
    No
    They did.

    Next question/.

    Yes
    Yes
    Not really judging by the result.

    The AW139 is a civilian executive helicopter painted green. The truth of this is evident in the fact the Agusta went on to develop the AW149 which IS a militarised helicopter designed to compete with the Blackhawk.

    Of course as the Air Corp's 139s are mostly used in civvie type roles like air ambulance and flying ministers and presidents around in comfort, (as long as the doors stay on), then it's perfect.


  • #5
    goldie fish
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,195 ✭✭✭goldie fish


    It was fit for purpose. It's what the Air Corpse wanted. A heli that troops training AT HOME could jump in and out of. One that does all the civvi jobs the AC spend all their time doing also.
    http://forum.irishmilitaryonline.com/showthread.php?4897-Tender-details-for-UH-LUH-Competition

    It was supposed to be cheaper to run also, but it appears that some of the specs provided by AW in the tender may have been slightly inaccurate.
    Other options offerred were the EC145 and the S70A.


  • #6
    xflyer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,787 ✭✭✭xflyer


    Thanks Goldie Fish, clearly the S70 had no chance, it being a military helicopter. That spec is strictly for a civvie helicopter.

    It's all clear now.

    What the hell (heli)were they thinking?


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  • #7
    Maoltuile
    Registered Users Posts: 634 ✭✭✭Maoltuile


    xflyer wrote: »
    Thanks Goldie Fish, clearly the S70 had no chance, it being a military helicopter. That spec is strictly for a civvie helicopter.

    It's all clear now.

    What the hell (heli)were they thinking?

    Helicopter contracts here in the Republic are brokered by FF-connected middlemen. This has been covered in some detail by the Phoenix (going all the way back to the Dauphins).


  • #8
    newcavanman
    Registered Users Posts: 822 ✭✭✭newcavanman


    Maoltuile wrote: »
    Helicopter contracts here in the Republic are brokered by FF-connected middlemen. This has been covered in some detail by the Phoenix (going all the way back to the Dauphins).
    I dont know whether this is true or not, but it doesnt seem to make any difference who is in power, they are pretty much all the same .One bad procurement after another .
    Makes you wonder , if the shinners got in with a majority, would we get a couple of squadrons of SU-30s? maybe a squadron of Mil-35s and some Mil-17? Geeze, that could be enough to push this Rightwinger over to the Dark side, ie, the Left .


  • #9
    goldie fish
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,195 ✭✭✭goldie fish


    newcavanman wrote: »
    I dont know whether this is true or not, but it doesnt seem to make any difference who is in power, they are pretty much all the same .One bad procurement after another .
    Makes you wonder , if the shinners got in with a majority, would we get a couple of squadrons of SU-30s? maybe a squadron of Mil-35s and some Mil-17? Geeze, that could be enough to push this Rightwinger over to the Dark side, ie, the Left .

    What procurement has FG/Lab done while in Government?


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