France, Germany Lean Towards Russian Mi-26T for Heavy Transport Requirement

France, Germany Lean Towards Russian Mi-26T for Heavy Transport Requirement

(Source: defense-aerospace.com; published Sept. 4, 2007)

The Mil Mi-26T heavy lift helicopter, which the French Army will evaluate in November, could form the basis for the French-German Future Transport Helicopter. (Venezuelan Army photo)PARIS — France and Germany are leaning towards an off-the-shelf acquisition to meet their requirement for a heavy transport helicopter, and according to present plans could award a production contract by 2012 for initial deliveries in 2017.

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“It is not obvious that we will have to develop a new helicopter: we hope to adapt what is available on the market,” François Mestre, the official in charge of the program at the French defense procurement agency, DGA, told defense-aerospace.com. The looming defense spending crunch in France also argues for off-the-shelf solutions rather than expensive development programs.

Three helicopters are being evaluated in the initial phase: the Boeing CH-47F Chinook, the Sikorsky CH-53K project and the Mil Mi-26T. The latter will be evaluated by the French Army in November, Mestre said, under an agreement signed in December with Rosoboronexport, the Russian arms export agency.

“We anticipate finalizing a common requirement by 2009 followed by a two-year risk reduction phase, with an additional year to complete contract specifications,” he said. A procurement contract could be signed in 2012 with initial deliveries to follow in 2017. “This is a very relaxed schedule because we want to take the time to build a durable program,” Mestre said.

It also would leave ample time to modify the basic Mi-26T design to European requirements. It has a five-man crew, while France wants three at most, and both its avionics and engines are outdated. It also does not have a Western certification. Development costs for a new version of a new Mi-26T with new engine and avionics would be considerable, but could be shared with Russia which will have to upgrade the Mi-26T in any case.

The CH-47F was declared combat-ready by the US Army in August, so it is probably too late to incorporate any modifications needed by France and Germany. The CH-53K currently has no European partner since Eurocopter decided last year that it would not participate, while the Mi-26T offers considerable growth potential and, perhaps most interestingly, a cost-effective solution providing France and Germany with a very capable helicopter whose technology they would acquire.

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In terms of operational requirements, France wants the new helicopter to be able to transport two VBL light armored vehicles and, possibly, a VAB 13-tonne vehicle as slung cargo. It wants to be able to fly two tactical missions of up to 600 km each without refueling, Mestre said, which implies a maximum range of 1,000-1,500 km. In-flight refueling is a possibility, but is not essential.

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