EH101 a Strong Contender for Imminent Orders

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.

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. Now the EH101 is also an important contender to replace Canada's CH-124 Sea King ASW helicopters.

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."