Transport Aircraft

The Chinese are the only ones operating a military version and its slightly different to the H175.

Like you said In a previous post about the tender for the government jet they kept it basic x amount of people and x amount of distance and see what comes back. Hopefully they do the same here x amount of soldiers and cargo carried and x distance it can go. See what the market comes back. The only problem is if they stick to the technical term of super medium that leaves only 2 aircraft. Maybe there mind is set on the aw189 already

Are they keeping the term super medium because the DOD/Air Corps have already decided what the replacement helicopters will Be?

Super Medium was the phrase used by the Commission report. It definitely narrows the scope. It's a phrase invented for the offshore industry.

Rather than a stretched 139 painted green the 149 was designed from the outset as a military spec machine. Unusually and in the opposite manner to the norm it was redesigned as a civilian version, the 189. (We don't want the 189)

Of the two, H175 or AW149, the 149 is more mature and has sales to Polish, Egyptian and Thai militaries.

That 149 looks the biz all right. Had a look at the spec on the company website. Didn't realise how roomy it is. Would have come in dead handy on the recent ARW gig.

Oh but they can, if they want to.

They decided to buy a C295 transport with no selection process whatsoever.

You can under international trade rules do a Govt to Govt purchase, where the Irish Govt tells the Italian government "we want to buy 8 of your finest AW149 helicopters please, because of a national security necessity" and the Italian government looks after the details.

If they go with either the aw169 or aw189 and are going to have the fleet in place for 2028 they will have to put the order in by 2026 going by bristows court case with CHC there is a minimum lead in time off 2 years to book a slot. Will they buy full military spec or just paint them green.

If they are not deployed overseas is there a need for full military spec? If the air corps do plan to go overseas maybe have a mix of helicopters for domestic use and then full military spec for missions overseas?

The Tender Returns for the government jet is in just over 2 weeks. Could we see the Brazilians offer the Embraer 195. The base model comes in at around 50 million euro

Correct I was looking at Km range not NM range

I would be unusually surprised if anything outside of a Dassault or maybe Gulfstream is chosen and the GS might be out as ifs, GS don't do tenders in anything but USD.

And train future Ryanair pilots for years!

If we get 15 years out of a recruit or cadet in the modern world, we have done well. You'll see less 21 year bars on parade in decades to come. That's fine once we can turnover enough to replace them all. We can't have the same scale of recruitment expecting each recruit or cadet will stay till pension age. We need high volume of new entrants, from all recruiting streams, to allow for normal wastage.

Correct Dohvolle.

I've been suggesting for a while now to anyone that will listen, that the DF needs a closer, structured relationship with the Universities, VECs and approved training bodies, to embed a culture of volunteerism, workplace immersion, reserve service and talent spotting. Agility and flexibility are the only things that will bring DF manpower into the 21st Century.

I believe thats precisely the approach that should be taken.

Could be a little too wild an idea for the defence establishment in this Country yet, however.

They are starting to clock up the orders now . They have 5 European nations and the Saudis look like they maybe doing a major deal as well

Surprising the Koreans didn't go with the almost identical Kawasaki C2 from Japan.

Embraer have a nice full order book, but they'd want to start delivering if they want to keep the orders rolling in.