In the course of domestic helicopter procurement, the media have sometimes confused the category regulations. The almost five-tonne AW169 from Leonardo selected by Defence Minister Klaudia Tanner (Militär Aktuell reported) was often incorrectly described as a “heavy multi-purpose helicopter”.
The German armed forces are looking for a really heavy multi-purpose helicopter to replace their CH-53G. They want a type with a transport capacity of ten tons internal load or at least 30 soldiers each with 115 kilograms or ten tons of cargo as an external load and up to eight tons internal load over a distance of 230 kilometers. And that with a minimum cruising speed of 220 km/h, with a maximum take-off weight of more than 20 tons, with machine-gun armament, self-protection and much more.
Only two manufacturers and their German bidding consortia were able to meet these ambitious requirements: the Sikorsky CH-53K (the last member of the three-engine “Super Jolly Green Giant” or “Pave Low” family from the 1960s and 1980s) and the latest Boeing CH-47F with tandem rotor. By 2030, between 44 and 60 of these should have replaced the 112 CH-53G/GA/GS and GE aircraft that have remained in Laupheim and Holzdorf since 1972. However, this will now come to nothing. The Bundeswehr Procurement Office (BAAINBw) canceled the process yesterday for the time being. It has been recognized that “it is unlikely that the project can be implemented within the planned budget while simultaneously meeting all requirements”, according to the reasoning. The bids submitted were assessed as uneconomical and the award procedure was therefore “canceled”, which is why a contract conclusion in 2021 – as originally planned – is no longer achievable. The aim is still to replace the previous CH-53G model on time. However, the project will now be continued with “modified specifications” and a decision on how to proceed will be made by the end of the year.
Heavy transport helicopters are already and will continue to be of central importance for German military operations. This applies to national and alliance defense, but also to foreign missions and the deployment of special forces. For example, the GE models were specially modified for use in Afghanistan. It was only in February 2019, after some delay, that the BAAINBw issued the official tender for the Air Force’s heavy transport helicopter – rotorcraft legend Sergei Sikorsky had already been expecting this at the ILA 2018 in an interview with Militär Aktuell. However, no funds had previously been allocated for this in the 2019 budget, and it was only in November that 5.6 billion euros were “reserved” for this until 2031.
The actual reason for the postponement is likely to be Germany’s highest level of new debt in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany, which is expected for 2021. In addition, both manufacturers would have paid for the participation of German companies (such as MTU-Engines, Rheinmetall, Autoflug, Hensoldt and Liebherr). The additional requirements on the part of the Bundeswehr procurers, such as long-term maintenance contracts with fixed prices and various certificates (details in this article) probably did the rest. While the Left Party rejoices that “expensive military toys are not being purchased, especially as Germany is not threatened by any state”, the German Greens have more statesmanlike words via Tobias Lindner: “The end of the heavy transport helicopter is a bitter sign for the troops. It is unclear how the soldiers are supposed to fulfill their tasks without new helicopters. Operational readiness will continue to deteriorate, and the continued operation of outdated systems is increasingly time-consuming and very expensive. The ministry has taken a completely naïve approach to the procurement project. Kramp-Karrenbauer has no plan B, a new tender alone will not solve any problems.” And according to the FDP chairman of the Bundestag defense committee, Alexander Müller, “the halt in the awarding of contracts for the urgently needed helicopter shows once again that the processes of the Ministry of Defense need to be revised in general. If we order our equipment without ‘red ribbons’, i.e. either off the shelf or in the configuration that other NATO partners accept, then we would receive our material faster and more cheaply.”
