EH Expects to Restock Order Book For EH101 by the End of the Year

While the attention of EH Industries and its EH101 helicopter is fixed on several important European competitions, the company's gaze is wandering across the Atlantic, where the EH101 is being positioned for any future revision of U.S. vertical lift requirements.

EHI, now a wholly-owned subsidiary of AgustaWestland, has handed over the first of 16 aircraft for the Italian Navy, while deliveries to Britain's Royal Navy and RAF are well underway. Italy's initial batch of EH101s comprises eight ASW/ASuW aircraft, four AEW and four utility transports. In December 2000 the first two (ASW) examples were delivered to Luni, in northern Italy, to begin service trials. Another two ASW variants will be delivered by the year's end. The first utility version will be handed over in 2002/03, with the first AEW aircraft following in 2003/04.

EHI expects Italy to exercise options on eight EH101s before the end of 2001-probably as a mix of two ASW, two AEW and four transport helicopters.

Thirty-two Merlin HM.1s for the Royal Navy had been delivered to the program's prime contractor, Lockheed Martin, by the end of May 2001.

Eighteen are currently operational at RNAS Culdrose with No. 700M Sqn, the intensive trials unit, and No. 824 Sqn, the training and conversion unit. The first front-line unit, No. 814 Sqn, is expected to be declared operational in October/November. In May 2002 this squadron will make its first Merlin deployment, with six aircraft aboard HMS Ark Royal. The Navy will commission two additional Merlin squadrons, with the last of its 44 HM.1s due for delivery in June 2002.

By mid-June 2001 the RAF had six Merlin H.3s operational with its lead EH101 unit, No. 28 Sqn, at RAF Benson. Another seven H.3s were conducting flight trials with DERA/DPA. The RAF has 22 H.3s on order, and the EH101 is the prime-candidate for the UK's emerging Support Amphibious Battlefield Rotorcraft (SABR) requirement for up to 100 aircraft.

Canada has ordered 15 CH-1439 Cormorant helicopters to replace its CH-113 Labradors in the SAR role. The first Cormorant made its official maiden flight on May 31 and two aircraft are undertaking flying training tasks with Agusta. This pair will be delivered before the end of the summer, with another six to follow by the end of the year. The EH101 is also an important contender to replace Canada's CH-124 Sea King ASW helicopters.

EHI is currently chasing export orders in Ireland, Portugal and Scandinavia. Ireland has a requirement for five medium-lift helicopters-three for SAR and two for transport tasks. A decision on the type selected had been expected this June, but will probably come in the third quarter. Portugal also requires a new SAR helicopter, and plans to order a batch of nine with three or four options. A final decision is expected in September. The EH101 is seen as a front-runner in both the Irish and Portuguese competitions.

The EH101 is also a contender in the long-running Nordic Standard Helicopter competition, being run by Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. This program has suffered several delays but some firm decisions are expected by the end of the year.

In June EHI completed a major demonstration tour of the EH101 in the U.S.A. With an eye on the troubled V-22 Osprey program, an EHI spokesman said, "The EH101 is not an Osprey competitor, but it can fulfil many tasks in which the Osprey is not cost-effective."