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| Europe |
| Turkey agrees to buy Seahawks, stalls on attack helicopters |
| 2005-06-20 |
| Turkey's Defence Industries Undersecretariat (SSM) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with US company Sikorsky for the acquisition of an additional 12 Seahawk SH-60B shipborne anti-submarine helicopters for the Turkish Navy Forces Command (TNFC). The agreement was signed shortly before Minister of National Defence Vecdi GönÃŒl visited the US on 10 June where he announced the deal. Turkey has become the largest operator of Sikorsky helicopters after the US Army and already operates 125 Sikorsky Black Hawk multi-purpose helicopters. The $389 million Seahawk deal came after long-running negotiations stalled over the price and some technical disputes. About $324 million of the project will be financed by the US Eximbank and the remainder from SSM funds. Sikorsky plans to deliver the helicopters in three to four years time and made a $200 million offset pledge. The seven SH-60Bs already operated by Turkey will be upgraded, including glass cockpits, to bring them to the same standard as the new helicopters. In Turkey's other major helicopter procurement, a troubled multi-billion dollar effort to buy 50 attack helicopters (with an option for a further 41), French-German Eurocopter plans to offer Tiger helicopters. However, a commercial dispute continues between the SSM and competitors on both sides of the Atlantic over the terms and conditions of the tender. Bidders told JDW that a revised tender document fell short of satisfying their needs and did not go beyond what they described as cosmetic changes. Turkey, however, extended the deadline from 10 June to 13 September for responses to the Request for Proposals released on 10 February. In a related development, the Turkish-US dispute over technology transfer surfaced during an American-Turkish business meeting Major General Peter Sutton, chief of the US office of the defence co-operation in Ankara, described Turkey's requests as unrealistic: "Not even all our closest friends and allies receive all technologies. "On the other hand, in fairness to our friends and allies, I also believe it's necessary for US policymakers to continually review our technology transfer policies to ensure they are right for the times and that we are only withholding those specific technologies that absolutely must have protection," Maj Gen Sutton added. |
| Posted by:too true |