Une percée de plus de l'hélicoptériste européen dans le marché gouvernemental U.S.
EADS North America and Eurocopter have committed the full resources of their UH-145 industry team to the production, supply and in-service support of this helicopter following its selection as the U.S. Army’s next-generation Light Utility Helicopter (LUH). The LUH requirement is for up to 352 aircraft with a potential program life-cycle value of U.S. $ 3 billion.
The LUH award is a continuation of Eurocopter’s over 20-year heritage as a helicopter supplier to American government agencies which support U.S. National and Homeland Security agencies including the U.S. Coast Guard, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI. The decision, announced today by the U.S. Army, marks EADS North America’s and Eurocopter’s first major win as a prime contractor for the U.S. military.
The UH-145 is a version of the commercial EC145. Its selection by the U.S. Army for this important mission demonstrates the service’s confidence in EADS’ and Eurocopter’s ability to meet the fast-paced delivery schedule and support requirements of these critical Army aircraft. The program will in-source U.S. jobs of high value and contribute to homeland security.
Fabrice Brégier, President and CEO of Eurocopter, the company which designed and builds the EC145, declared: "We are extremely proud that our helicopter has been selected for the U.S. Army’s requirement. After decades of delivering to U.S. government and commercial operators, this is our first entry into the U.S. military market and a tremendous opportunity for us to further prove our total commitment to this market. In terms of numbers, the UH-145 award is the single largest order for one aircraft type booked by Eurocopter to date. The UH-145 selection demonstrates the benefits derived from a fair and open competition among capable solution providers and demonstrates the value proposition of applying commercially-derived solutions to meet military requirements. It also reflects the fact that military cooperation between the U.S. and Europe is a true partnership."
EADS North America leads a UH-145 team of companies that includes four primary partners: American Eurocopter, a joint subsidiary of EADS North America and Eurocopter, which will handle the helicopter’s production, assembly and delivery; Sikorsky Aircraft, responsible for contractor logistics support (CLS); WestWind Technologies, for systems integration, engineering support and program management expertise; and CAE USA of Tampa, Florida, the supplier of UH-145 cockpit procedures trainers.
UH-145 program management will be handled by the EADS North America Defense business unit of EADS North America. A network of leading U.S. subcontractors has been created for the Light Utility Helicopter, bringing together companies such as the NORDAM
Group, Keith Products, Thales USA, Turbomeca USA , Wulfsberg Electronics., Honeywell, Goodrich, Aerolite, Armor Holdings and L3 Communications.
The UH-145’s industrial activity will be centered at American Eurocopter’s Columbus, Mississippi facility, which is to undergo a major expansion to accommodate the Light Utility Helicopter program. Production of the UH-145 – a customized version of Eurocopter’s EC145 multi-mission helicopter, currently built in Germany – will be transferred to Columbus in a series of steps that begins with partial assembly, followed by full assembly and the subsequent U.S. manufacture of major subsystems.
American Eurocopter’s expansion of the 92,000-sq.-ft. Columbus facility will begin almost immediately, with its size at least tripling to accommodate the UH-145 program activity. Employment will grow by approximately 250 persons, bringing it to more than 360. "This is a major step ahead for the Mississippi facility and fully in line with the worldwide industrial deployment strategy of Eurocopter, which consists in developing long-term industrial partnerships with major customer nations", said Fabrice Brégier.
EADS North America and Eurocopter have made a significant commitment to the UH-145 program, with the first helicopter already in assembly for delivery to the Army this November. In addition, components have been allocated for the manufacture of seven more UH-145s.
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