Bell tempts Australia with UAV deal

If the Australian Army selects the Bell ARH-1Z Cobra as its new Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH), Australia will also be the production site for Bell's Eagle Eye tilt-rotor unmanned air vehicle (UAV)

Bell Helicopter Textron will grant an Australian company the license to complete development of the Eagle Eye and manufacture a family of UAVs in Australia for sale worldwide. The deal could see export sales of more than 80 UAVs a year, worth up to $300 million a year, Joe Moharich, managing director of Bell's Brisbane-based Australian agent, Helitech Ltd, told ADM.

"UAV's are truly the way of the future, and this aircraft is unique in the field of UAVs," Moharich said. "The Bell Eagle Eye is well suited to both land and shipborne operations due to its unique vertical take-off and landing capability combined with its superior speed, range and operational ceiling. UAVs are "force multipliers", able to survey large areas and support battlefield commanders without endangering human life in a military scenario."

Under the terms of the deal Brisbane-based UAV Australia Ltd (UAVAL), which is part-owned by Helitech, would carry out development and manufacture, Moharich said, with worldwide sales being conducted both by independent agents and through Bell Helicopter Textron's global network of more than 90 agents.

Like the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft which Bell and Boeing are developing for the US Marines, the Eagle Eye tiltrotor aircraft is able to change the angle of its wingtip-mounted rotor nacelles from vertical (helicopter mode) to straight forward (aeroplane mode). The single engined Eagle Eye is capable of flying at speeds from the hover to more than 200 kts and has a ceiling of approximately 20,000ft and six hours endurance.

Potential customers for the Eagle Eye include the Australian Army, whose Joint Project 129 aims to acquire reconnaissance and surveillance UAVs over the next decade. But JP129 is not a big enough project in itself to justify the development costs of the eagle Eye, Moharich told ADM. Instead UAVAL will concentrate on developing a family of UAVs with worldwide appeal that can carry a range of different surveillance and reconnaissance sensor payloads.

"We are pleased to have the opportunity to complete the design and manufacture of this unique aircraft for worldwide distribution. In producing the ... Eagle Eye, we will be creating an aircraft that will provide significant benefits to Australian Industry whilst show-casing Australia's World Class aerospace capabilities."

Moharich said the offer of the Eagle Eye manufacturing license was conditional on Australia selecting the ARH-1Z helicopter. But he said he was confident about the helicopter's chances in Australia - Helitech is Bell's principal Australian partner in this bid, responsible for final assembly and in-service support; Raytheon Systems Co Australia Ltd is responsible for the associated training needs analysis and avionics software support; and Lockheed Martin is responsible for developing the ARH-1Z's target sighting system.

The ARH-1Z is in production now for the US Marine Corps, the company is negotiating a prime contract with Turkey to supply 140 similar aircraft, and Bell Helicopter Textron is bidding for a contract for over 100 helicopters from the South Korean defense department, Moharich said, so Australia will be part of a global community of operators of this latest version of the Cobra helicopter family.

By Gregor Ferguson, Adelaide