New Medium Helicopter | |
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General information | |
Project for | Procurement of a fleet of medium-lift helicopters |
Issued by | UK Ministry of Defence |
Service |
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Proposals |
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Requirement | 44 Medium Lift Helicopters final assembly line training & support |
History | |
Initiated | 2021 |
Expected | 2025 |
The New Medium Helicopter (NMH) is a British military programme to procure a new medium-lift support helicopter to replace several existing helicopters operated by the Royal Air Force and British Army. It is expected the new aircraft will enter service during the late-2020s. After early work on specifications and a down select of contenders, bidding was opened in 2024. The requirement is for a production line and 44 medium helicopters planned to accomplish five specific roles. The helicopter is expected to replace Puma, Huey, and Dauphin helicopters in British service. The Huey's were retired early and replaced by the Puma and Juno helicopters.
A main goal is to bolster medium lift capacity, currently supported dwindling numbers of Puma medium helicopters. They entered service in 1968 with 48 being bought, and 24 were upgraded to HC2 standard in the 2010s, and are planned to be service into the late 2020s while the NMH programme is underway. Part way through a transparency notice was issued, that the remaining Huey's are being replaced by Airbus H145 for the time being. In early 2024, there were signs the order could be as little as 30 aircraft, but the MoD did not comment.
British medium lift capacity, limited to a couple dozen refurbished Puma's, now over half a century old is on schedule to be replaced by the NMH programme.[1] In contrast, ally USA has over 2,800 medium lift choppers in service.[2] There is serious competition from Leonardo, which incorporated the famed Westland aviation company. Finally, the combined forces of Team Airbus, Boeing UK, and others pitching a newer Airbus design is in the running. Dark horse candidates, among the large medium lift helicopter market are a possibility, though with now parted out Australians used MRH-90 Taipan (NH90) presumably passed over. The Lockheed Martin lead team, is putting up the popular but aging S-70 (aka Black Hawk) helicopter.
The NMH programme has the objective of providing UK Joint Aviation Command with a modern medium-lift helicopter, replacing the outdated existing aircraft currently used by the British Army, the Royal Air Force, and UK Strategic Command bases in Cyprus and Brunei. The programme aims to achieve this by:[3]
On 22 March 2021, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) published Defence in a Competitive Age, in which it indicated that it would invest in a new medium-lift helicopter during the mid-2020s.[4] The Defence and Security Industrial Strategy, published at the same time, outlined that to maintain cost-effective access to upgrades and support for the helicopter fleet, the MOD's intention was to consolidate existing fleets through their replacement by a new aircraft acquired through the New Medium Helicopter (NMH) programme.[5]
The aircraft to be replaced are the Royal Air Force's twenty-three Westland Puma HC2 and three Bell 412 Griffin; and the British Army's three Bell 212 and six Airbus AS365 Dauphin.[6][7] The Puma HC2 fleet is planned to be supported until at least 2028, whereas the Griffin and Bell 212 which supported British Forces Cyprus and British Forces Brunei were replaced by the Puma in 2023 and 2022 respectively.[8][9] In the meantime and separately from the NMH programme, the MOD published a transparency notice in November 2023 indicating its intention to acquire six Airbus H145M helicopters (to be known as the Jupiter HC2) for use in Cyprus and Brunei. The Jupiters are expected to be delivered in late 2024.[10]
Despite the MOD having yet to release a formal requirement, Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo and Sikorsky (part of Lockheed Martin) displayed their proposals to meet the NMH requirement at the DSEI 2021 defence exhibition in September 2021.[6]
In October 2021, the MOD indicated that no final decision had been taken on the method of procurement, but that the expectation was that it will be subject to a competition.[11] A prior information notice was published by the MOD on 11 November 2021, which outlined the scope of the project and the intention to carry out early engagement with potential suppliers. The MOD indicated that it anticipated 36 to 44 new helicopters would be procured, as well as two cockpit flight simulators and one cabin simulator.[12] At this stage the estimated cost of the contract was £1 billion and it was anticipated to run from October 2023 until October 2028.[13]
The MOD published a contract notice on 18 May 2022, officially commencing the competition and confirming the intention to acquire up to 44 aircraft. The contact would also include air and ground crew training as well as in-service technical support and maintenance. The contract would now be worth between £900 million and £1.2 billion. Although no contract start date was indicated, it is specified as running for seven years from the date of award. Invitations to tender were expected to be issued by the MOD by 30 September 2022.[14]
In October 2022, the MOD selected four contenders who would progress to the next stage, Airbus offering the H175M, Boeing with an undisclosed aircraft, Leonardo offering the AW149 and Lockheed Martin offering the S-70 Blackhawk.[15] Other contenders which were suggested as potential bids were the AceHawk Aerospace ML-70 (a variant of the Blackhawk); the H160M Guepard and H225M Caracal by Airbus Helicopters; the UH-1Y Venom and 525 RelentlessbyBell; the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey; and the NHIndustries NH90.[16][6][17] Bell and AceHawk Aerospace did not pass the pre-qualification questionnaire.[18] Boeing confirmed in March 2023 that rather than offering its own aircraft, which it was anticipated would have been the MH-139 Grey Wolf, it would be partnering with Airbus on the H175M bid.[15]
In July 2023, the defence media reported that the number of aircraft to be acquired had been reduced to a maximum of 35.[19] However, the MOD denied it had reduced the quantity under consideration, stating "There has been no change to the advertised requirement in the New Medium Helicopter contract notice that was published in May 2022." That tender document called for the acquisition of up to 44 New Medium Helicopters with a total budget of up to £1.2 billion ($1.5 billion). The MOD added that "the second half of the competition will be launched later [in 2023]."[20] In February 2024, defence industry sources again indicated that the expected order size would be reduced, potentially to 25-35 aircraft, with the MOD declining to comment on the exact figure.[21] Bidding was opened for the programme as the Invitation to Negotiate phase was launched in February 2024. Three manufacturers, Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo Helicopters and Lockheed Martin are expected to submit bids which will be reviewed during 2025, when a contract is also expected to be awarded.[22]
As of February 2024, there are three contenders for the NMH contract.[23]
European multinational company Airbus Helicopters are offering a military version of the H175, which is designated as the H175M.[24] It is a twin-engine helicopter which according to Airbus has the largest cabin space and fuel capacity in its class.[25]
Airbus is partnering with Boeing Defence UK, Babcock, Martin-Baker and Spirit AeroSystems to form the H175m Task Force. Pratt & Whitney Canada would supply PT6C-67E turbo-shaft engines.[24][26]
The aircraft would be manufactured at Airbus's factory located at Hawarden Airport, Broughton, Wales.[26]
Italian manufacturer Leonardo is offering the AW149. Partner companies forming Team AW149 UK would include Aerco, Chelton, Ford Aerospace, Helitune, LFD and RDDS Avionics.[27] The AW149 operates with either two General Electric CT7-2E1 engines or two Safran Aneto-1K engines.[28]
Leonardo has indicated that it would assemble the AW149 at a new assembly-line at its Yeovil facility in Somerset, England.[17] Yeovil would act as a 'final assembly facility' due to Italy's investment in the main AW189/AW149 production line in Brindisi, Italy.[29]
The AW149 is already operated by the Royal Thai Army, Egyptian Navy and Polish Land Forces.[30]
Lockheed Martin, through its Sikorsky Aircraft subsidiary, is offering the S-70 Black Hawk. The Black Hawk is the only contender which was designed as a military helicopter and is combat proven, rather than being a military version of a civilian airframe. Entering service in 1979, the Black Hawk is operated by 34 countries, including the US military which had over 2,000 examples across a range of variants.[31]
Lockheed Martin has selected StandardAero to carry out final assembly of the aircraft in Gosport, England.[32]
Company | Model | Passengers | MTOW (kg) | Range (km) | Max speed (kn) | Cruise speed (kn) | First flight year | Flight hours | Length(m) | Width (m) | Height (m) | Production site | Min. op temp (°C) | Max op. temp (°C) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aérospatiale | Puma HC2[33] | 16 | 7,400 | 550 | 167 | 134 | 1965 | 30,000+[34] | 18.2 | 3.5 | 5.14 | Hayes, Middlesex[35] | -30 | +40 |
Airbus Helicopters | H175M[36] | 18 | 7,800 | 1,083 | 175+ | 160+ | 2009[37][38] | 145,000+[39] | 18.06[40] | 3.35[41] | 5.34 | Airbus Broughton | -40 | +50 |
Leonardo Helicopters | AW149[42] | 19 | 8,000 | 849 [43] | 170 | 155 | 2009[44][45] | unknown | 17.57 | 3.02[46] | 5.07 | Yeovil/Westland Airport | -40 | +55 |
Boeing Rotorcraft Systems | MH-139 Grey Wolf | 15 | 6,500 | 1,300 | 167 | 135 | 2001 | 2,000,000+[47] | 16.66 | 2.26 | 4.98 | PZL-Świdnik | -40 | +55 |
Sikorsky Aircraft | S-70M | 11 | 9,979 | 460 | 195 | 160 | 1974 | 14,000,000+ | 19.76 | 4.37 | 5.33 | StandardAero Gosport | -40 | +55 |
According to the notification, the requirement will cover between 36 and 44 aircraft, as well as two cockpit and one cabin simulator...
The Royal Air Force (RAF) Puma helicopter fleet has achieved 30,000 flying hours since the Puma 2 helicopter came into service in 2015.
the SNIAS/Westland Puma HC.1 accounted for 40 aircraft XW198-237, all were built at Hayes with deliveries commencing with XW198 and 199 on 29/1/71.
Eurocopter expects a minimum of 800 orders over a 20-year period for the EC175. The helicopter completed its first flight on 4 December, meeting a target to fly by the end 2009 that was established at the outset of four-year-old programme.
EC175's first flight on December 4th, 2009
More than 145,000 flight hours have been logged by the H175 fleet in such operations as...
The AgustaWestland AW149 multirole military variant of the AW139 medium twin helicopter completed its first flight on November 13, a day after the AW159 Lynx Wildcat updated Lynx for the British military flew.
AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce that the first prototype of the AW149 multi-role military medium twin helicopter successfully completed its maiden flight on November 13th at AgustaWestland's Vergiate plant.