RAF Puma Replacement
Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2020 11:57 pm
The SA330 Puma has been in excellent service with the RAF since the 1960s. It has to be replaced at some point and Leonardo (Westland > Agusta Westland as was) is pushing for its AW149 to replace it. The article from the Telegraph:
Helicopter jobs fears as Leonardo lobbies for UK order
Leonardo highlights economic returns of buying from its Yeovil factory as it faces thinning order book
By Alan Tovey, Industry Editor 15 November 2020 • 3:00pm
The long-term future of thousands of jobs building helicopters at Leonardo’s factory in Somerset hinges on the UK replacing its ageing fleet of medium helicopters, according to the defence company.
Leonardo, the UK division of the Italian defence company, is pushing its AW149 helicopter as a replacement for helicopters such as the Puma, which first entered service with the UK in almost 50 years ago.
The company’s helicopter plant in Yeovil, which has 2,750 employees and 500 subcontracted staff, will have to start reducing its production line in 2022 unless it lands new orders.
The Ministry of Defence has not set out a requirement for replacement helicopters but Leonardo is positioning itself in anticipation of a 20-plus aircraft order, thought to be worth £400m, by highlighting the economic returns of buying a UK-made product.
A report by Oxford Economics calculates that each £1 the Government spends with the company, which also produces radar for Typhoon fighters and anti-missile defence systems, generates £2.40 of economic activity.
Norman Bone, managing director of Leonardo UK, said: “Infrastructure projects have been shown to kickstart economies after events like Covid-19 and this order would be an infrastructure order, supporting thousands of direct jobs and many more in the supply chain.”
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He added that an order for the AW149 would not only protect manufacturing jobs, but also generate UK intellectual property from research and design work modifying the helicopter to British military specifications.
Britain buying the helicopter could also open up an international export market for Yeovil-built AW149s, according to Mr Bone.
"The UK buying it would create a reference customer for other countries, as British military service is seen as an endorsement. “We conservatively estimate the global market for the AW149 to be 500 aircraft,” he said.
Helicopters produced by Leonardo in the UK are already in service with the British military. One recent high-profile operation was the storming by the SBS of the Nave Andromeda off the south coast.
The ship’s deck was swept for hijackers from a distance by an AW159 Wildcat, then two AW101 Merlins lander troops on the vessel.
The Merlin was produced as a co-operation between Britain and Italy. The Wildcat is a descendant of the British/French Lynx. The Puma was developed by Sud Aviation in France and is used by many of the world's air forces. Co-operation seems to have been successful in the past!
I'm not sure what the Wildcat 'sweeping the deck' means or the Merlins landing on it - winched to it perhaps. Journalists...
Comparison of the Puma and the 149:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AgustaWestland_AW149
https://www.raf.mod.uk/aircraft/puma-hc2/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A%C3%A9ro ... A_330_Puma
So is it worth retaining some helicopter manufacturing in Yeovil in the UK, or will the country end up relying on the French, Italians or Americans?
Helicopter jobs fears as Leonardo lobbies for UK order
Leonardo highlights economic returns of buying from its Yeovil factory as it faces thinning order book
By Alan Tovey, Industry Editor 15 November 2020 • 3:00pm
The long-term future of thousands of jobs building helicopters at Leonardo’s factory in Somerset hinges on the UK replacing its ageing fleet of medium helicopters, according to the defence company.
Leonardo, the UK division of the Italian defence company, is pushing its AW149 helicopter as a replacement for helicopters such as the Puma, which first entered service with the UK in almost 50 years ago.
The company’s helicopter plant in Yeovil, which has 2,750 employees and 500 subcontracted staff, will have to start reducing its production line in 2022 unless it lands new orders.
The Ministry of Defence has not set out a requirement for replacement helicopters but Leonardo is positioning itself in anticipation of a 20-plus aircraft order, thought to be worth £400m, by highlighting the economic returns of buying a UK-made product.
A report by Oxford Economics calculates that each £1 the Government spends with the company, which also produces radar for Typhoon fighters and anti-missile defence systems, generates £2.40 of economic activity.
Norman Bone, managing director of Leonardo UK, said: “Infrastructure projects have been shown to kickstart economies after events like Covid-19 and this order would be an infrastructure order, supporting thousands of direct jobs and many more in the supply chain.”
Show more
He added that an order for the AW149 would not only protect manufacturing jobs, but also generate UK intellectual property from research and design work modifying the helicopter to British military specifications.
Britain buying the helicopter could also open up an international export market for Yeovil-built AW149s, according to Mr Bone.
"The UK buying it would create a reference customer for other countries, as British military service is seen as an endorsement. “We conservatively estimate the global market for the AW149 to be 500 aircraft,” he said.
Helicopters produced by Leonardo in the UK are already in service with the British military. One recent high-profile operation was the storming by the SBS of the Nave Andromeda off the south coast.
The ship’s deck was swept for hijackers from a distance by an AW159 Wildcat, then two AW101 Merlins lander troops on the vessel.
The Merlin was produced as a co-operation between Britain and Italy. The Wildcat is a descendant of the British/French Lynx. The Puma was developed by Sud Aviation in France and is used by many of the world's air forces. Co-operation seems to have been successful in the past!
I'm not sure what the Wildcat 'sweeping the deck' means or the Merlins landing on it - winched to it perhaps. Journalists...
Comparison of the Puma and the 149:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AgustaWestland_AW149
https://www.raf.mod.uk/aircraft/puma-hc2/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A%C3%A9ro ... A_330_Puma
So is it worth retaining some helicopter manufacturing in Yeovil in the UK, or will the country end up relying on the French, Italians or Americans?