The Government's £80 million contract for new Air Corps helicopters has reached its final stages and a provisional recommendation is expected to be confirmed within the next month.
One of three helicopters is due to be selected for interim trials before a contract is confirmed for four medium-lift machines - two for search and rescue, with an option to buy a third, and two for troop carrying. The three designs shortlisted are the Franco-German Eurocopter Cougar; the EH-101 Merlin; and the Sikorsky S-92.
A bid by a civilian company, CHC Scotia, is also still in the running, with CHC offering a combination of helicopter types similar to those already proposed, but with the added carrot of their own trained crew for both search and rescue and troop carrying, and/or ground and engineering support teams.
Formerly Bond Helicopters, CHC currently holds the Irish Coast Guard search and rescue contracts at Shannon and Dublin, and is due to take over the south-east search and rescue base at Waterford in September for nine months.
The civilian/military team assigned to the project - regarded as the largest defence contract in the history of the State - has visited all the manufacturers involved and a report has been submitted to the Department of Defence.
The EH-101 Merlin, designed by the Italian-British firm Augusta-Westland, is described as "the best but the most expensive" among industry sources, while the S-92 is the direct descendant of the Sikorsky S-61 and is based on proven US army Blackhawk and US navy Sea hawk helicopters. Although the US company cannot offer a machine before late 2003, if it wins the contract it says it can provide a training and back-up helicopter in the interim.
The Eurocopter is strongly tipped in some defence quarters, as the design is based on the earlier Puma helicopter flown by the Air Corps two decades ago. The Puma was leased as a medium-lift helicopter in the early 1980s, but the contract was not renewed.
Several Government reports in the past 10 years have recommended purchase of medium-lift craft for the defence wing, but this was not acted upon until after the Tramore crash in July 1999.
The shortcomings of the Dauphin short-range helicopter for work on the Atlantic seaboard were highlighted in the subsequent investigation by the Air Accident Investigation Unit into the Tramore crash.
Since the accident, the southeast base has been limited to daytime cover by an Air Corps Alouette. However, as part of the new arrangement for civilian cover at Waterford, the Air Corps is to be provided with a medium-range Sikorsky S-61 for training purposes from next year. The helicopter is expected then to be deployed to the only remaining Air Corps search and rescue base in the north-west.
The acquisition of medium-lift helicopters is expected to give the Air Corps a much-needed boost in morale. Trained crews are still leaving for the civilian sector and the defence wing is awaiting appointment of a new General Officer Commanding in succession to Brig Gen Patrick Cranfield, who retired recently.
The north-west search and rescue base at Finner is still temporarily deployed to Sligo, due to delays in providing a crash rescue tender. A separate decision on providing a new Government jet is being considered by an interdepartmental group representing the departments of the Taoiseach, Finance and Defence.
This group is preparing a memorandum to Government which will examine all options, including purchase of a craft or the leasing of a craft and crew on contract.
