ADEX 2015: Bell sees strong Asia-Pacific interest in H-1 and V-22 platforms

[Zarvan]

Bell Helicopter is seeing strong regional interest in both its AH-1Z (foreground) and UH-1Y (background) helicopters, as well as in the V-22 Osprey. Source: Bell Helicopter
Bell Helicopter expects to secure its first export contracts for its series of H-1 utility and attack helicopters in the Asia-Pacific region in the next 12 or so months and further regional orders for the V-22 tiltrotor in about the same time frame, a company official told IHS Jane's on 20 October.

Speaking at the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX) taking place in South Korea, Richard Harris, Bell's director international military marketing development, said interest in the company's maritime-orientated H-1 and V-22 platforms is especially strong in the region and that it anticipates near-term sales for the UH-1Y Venom utility helicopter, the AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter, and the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor.

"In Asia there is strong interest in the H-1 from navies in particular, or from armies that have a naval component," he said. "We are highly engaged in Australia, and [regional] countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, and South Korea all have requirements that could be satisfied by either the Viper, the Venom, or both. Some countries want a pure attack helicopter, in which case we would promote the [Viper], while others are replacing utility helicopters that perform an attack role also, which is suited to the [Venom]. I'd be hopeful of a Venom contract in 2016 and a Viper contract in 2017."

In Australia, Bell has been pushing its Viper as an alternative to the Airbus Helicopters Tiger helicopter for the Australian Defence Force's two landing helicopter dock (LHD) amphibious assault ships. "I think the Tiger is a great helicopter, but why field a platform that is designed to operate out of a hangar in Europe, with bolt-on anti-corrosion measures, when you can have one that was designed from the ground up to operate in the maritime domain?" Harris asked, adding, "I mean, you wouldn't take a VW Beetle to the Indy 500 and race it!" As Harris noted, the Australian government is due to release its defence white paper shortly, and this should define the country's path forward with its Tiger helicopters and indicate whether an alternative such as the Viper might be sought.

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ADEX 2015: Bell sees strong Asia-Pacific interest in H-1 and V-22 platforms - IHS Jane's 360