Discarded Helicopters Up For Sale

The Age

Wednesday December 3, 2008

BRENDAN NICHOLSON, DEFENCE CORRESPONDENT

THE Federal Government hopes to get back some of the $1billion lost when it junked the navy's trouble-plagued Seasprite helicopter project.

The 11 Vietnam-era aircraft are now being offered for sale by US company Kaman Aerospace, which was rebuilding them.

They are being sold on the international market for an unspecified price as a potent force capable of destroying submarines and surface warships and of carrying out search and rescue operations.

Kaman and the Government have agreed to share the proceeds of any sale.

The helicopters were originally sought by the Australian Navy in the 1990s because they were small enough to operate from patrol boats. But when plans changed and those vessels were never built for the navy, the decision was made to place them on large warships.

Kaman spent years rebuilding the Seasprite aircraft and fitting them with the latest electronics, avionics and weapons systems.

But the navy was never satisfied with their performance in the roles Australia required.

On several occasions the Howard government considered pulling out of the project, but each time backed away from that decision because the cost was considered too great.

During the last election campaign, Labor promised to look closely at the Seasprite contract and at the aircraft's performance, and in March the Government cancelled the contract.

It was said at the time that the helicopters could not operate reliably in poor visibility or at night.

Most of the helicopters, which were due to enter service in 2001, were grounded in 2006.

After tense negotiations the Government and Kaman agreed to sell the aircraft.

It is believed that the proceeds will be shared by Australia and the company.

An advertisement for the sale of the aircraft has appeared in the US magazine Military Technology, a specialist publication that carries glossy advertisements for ships, guns and aircraft potent enough to destroy a small country.

The advertisement says the "multi-mission maritime helicopters are backed by 1.5million hours of service with Egypt, Poland, New Zealand and the United States".

It says the 11 helicopters are available for immediate delivery to nations with mission requirements such as surface surveillance, anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue and more.

"The aircraft are fully mission capable in extreme sea states, provide true return-to-ship single engine performance and may be operated by two crew members," the advertisement says.

"Powerful. Proven. Available now. Only from Kaman."

The problems the aircraft had in meeting the Australian Navy's requirements don't get a mention.

© 2008 The Age

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