euros and the first retrofitted helicopter is
scheduled for delivery in early 2010.
Eurocopter is also waiting for the UK
Ministry of Defence to decide whether it
will go through as planned with the mid-life update of its fleet of Puma transport
helicopters. “Negotiations are very, very
advanced … and we are shaving the price
where we can,” said a senior company
official, adding, however, that financial
pressures are forcing the MoD to review all
of its procurement plans.
This could mean the Puma update
could be dropped in favor of the replacement of the entire Puma fleet, which could
ultimately make better long-term financial
sense; here, Eurocopter sees an opportunity for the NH-90.
Eurocopter also used the show to demonstrate its green credentials, with the
Bluecopter demonstrator that promises
30 percent better fuel efficiency, and much
lower emissions, thanks to its turbocharged
diesel engine instead of a turbine and
other innovations.
Sikorsky used the Paris Air Show to
announce that it had completed its restructuring into three distinct divisions, which
it believes will allow better response to
the market. One business unit, Sikorsky
Military Systems, is focused on the U.S.
and international military market, while
Sikorsky Global Helicopters, announced
in February, brings together its existing
commercial business units. The company
had already launched Sikorsky Aerospace
Eurocopter EC225
Services, which will group its customer
support business.
Sikorsky, which posted increased revenues for each of the past seven years, says
it is following a “four-pronged business
strategy: growth with margin expansion,
excellence in execution, technological
leadership, and globalization.” Its restructuring is intended to make it more global,
better focused on specific customer segments, and better able to continue growing, according to a statement.
The company had no big announcement or product at the show, but released
some interesting news. For example, it said
that the more than 300 Black Hawk helicopters operated by the U.S. Army in Iraq
and Afghanistan have logged “over 900,000
flight hours without a single material failure
with the aircraft.” It added that, since February 2003, the Black Hawk has maintained
an 84 percent mission-capable rate despite
extreme heat, wind, and sand conditions.
