Anonymous ID: 847475 Feb. 8, 2021, 12:23 a.m. No.12858137   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>8169 >>8194 >>8197 >>8382

>>12857034

 

Just to add to the Leonardo/Italy gate, do anons remember that only a couple years ago Leonardo won a big contract with the US army to replace the Hueys with AW139s…. Seems of late that the US forces are favoring Euro brands a lot more with aircraft than ever before, the Airbus Lakota, now 139 etc.

 

https://www.rotorandwing.com/2018/09/24/boeing-leonardo-team-win-2-4-billion-deal-replace-us-air-force-huey-fleet/

 

Boeing-Leonardo Team Win $2 Billion Deal To Replace US Air Force Huey Fleet

By Dan Parsons | September 24, 2018

Send Feedback | @SharkParsons

 

A team of Boeing and Leonardo helicopters were chosen by the U.S. Air Force to replace the Air Force's UH-1N Huey fleet with 84 helicopters under a $2.38 billion contract.

 

The $375 million contract announced Sept. 24 is for the first four MH-139 helicopters and includes integration of non-developmental items, according to the Air Force. The first operational helicopter delivery is expected in fiscal 2021, when it will take over patrolling nuclear missile fields and perform doomsday VIP transport in and around Washington, D.C.

 

Boeing will provide its MH-139 helicopter and related support to the U.S. Air Force to replace the fleet of UH-1N “Huey” helicopters used to protect America’s intercontinental ballistic missile bases.

 

“We’re grateful for the Air Force’s confidence in our MH-139 team,” said David Koopersmith, VP and general manager for Boeing Vertical Lift. “The MH-139 exceeds mission requirements, it’s also ideal for VIP transport, and it offers the Air Force up to $1 billion in acquisition and lifecycle cost savings.”

 

The contract also includes operations, maintenance, training systems and support equipment for the MH-139 aircraft.

 

“We’re proud to provide the U.S. Air Force with solutions across the entire services ecosystem,” said Ed Dolanski, president of U.S. Government Services at Boeing Global Services. “With the AW139 platform’s more than 2 million flight hours and established supply chain, we look forward to applying our expertise to drive cost savings while supporting mission readiness.”

 

Air Force forecasts put the program’s total price tag at $4.1 billion, but Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said, "Strong competition drove down costs for the program, resulting in $1.7 billion in savings to the taxpayer.”

 

Boeing teamed with Leonardo to offer the MH-139 helicopter based on Leonardo's commercial AW139 multi-mission helicopter. The team pitched the aircraft as an affordable Huey replacement that could save the Air Force $1 billion over its life cycle, according to Rick Lemaster, Boeing's director of global sales and marketing for military vertical-lift programs.

 

Incumbent Bell did not submit an offering, leaving the Boeing-Leonardo team to fight it out with Sikorsky and Sierra Nevada Corp. in the “best-value” competition.

 

…link to read full.

Anonymous ID: 847475 Feb. 8, 2021, 1 a.m. No.12858252   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>8261 >>8268

>>12858197

 

Just seems like a strange and BIG step for the US army to move away from critical role aircraft to Euro made stuff at several levels, and the pressure that Boeing has been under as the true American aviation brand with the 737 max etc. Pilot anon here, after all that has happened, i'm not convinced the software issues was deliberate to screw Boeing. Trump has always been a big Boeing supporter and owned Boeing jets for a long time, makes sense to go after Boeing if he supports them.

Anonymous ID: 847475 Feb. 8, 2021, 1:14 a.m. No.12858287   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>8293 >>8373

>>12858268

 

Historically, in critical role platforms, there's always been a US element to the machines, i find it very hard to believe that Boeing/MD/Bell-Textron wouldn't be given a development contract as has always happened to build/modify a suitable platform for them to retain design/tech control. For civilian use no worries, but for mil, I don't like it one bit, especially now that we've seen what Leonardo got up to with the election. I know Leonardo 'well' as well as their heli products, its a strange company internally and its not the platform i'd chose for that role, it wont last in the field.