Raytheon to seek Army cargo plane work
Military wants to buy 30 aircraftfor troops, supplies
Saturday, October 08, 2005
An Army program to replace aging cargo aircraft could boost the Rocket City's aviation work.
Raytheon, along with an American subsidiary of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co., plans to bid for the Army's $1.3 billion Future Cargo Aircraft program, which is managed by the Army Aviation and Missile Command on Redstone Arsenal. Aircraft work would be performed in Huntsville and Mobile.
In Huntsville, said Bill Weaver, Raytheon's senior manager of aviation development here, Raytheon would have about 50 people working in a program management office supporting the aircraft contract.
EADS is a European aerospace firm, and the company plans to offer its twin engine C-295 and C-235 aircraft as a potential cargo carrier to the Army. The initial purchase would be four aircraft, Weaver said, "and those would be made in Spain. In Mobile, as the program grows, we would assemble the aircraft there."
Army planners want to replace older, short-range cargo aircraft with new aircraft that are less costly to operate. The current plan is to buy about 30 cargo aircraft from 2007 to 2011. Bids are due by the end of this month, and the Army plans to test-fly aircraft in the spring. A decision to purchase an aircraft is expected by June 2006.
Although Weaver would not disclose how much an individual aircraft would cost, the EADS CASA North America C-295 and C-235 aircraft would be competitively priced, he said. "Our aircraft, because of the engines, will burn half the fuel per hour versus the competition. That will save hundreds of millions of dollars over the life of this program."
The C-295 and C-235 have been in operation for a number of years, with 250 in operation around the world, Weaver said.
Italy's Allenia, along with Lockheed Martin and L-3 Communication, plan to offer the Army a variant of the twin engine C-29J.
The Army wants new aircraft that can move a variety of supplies, along with troops, around a battlefield quickly.
"It would be able to fly supplies to a forward area," Weaver said, "and put them directly on a Chinook helicopter, which can transport them to those areas, like a mountaintop base, that an aircraft cannot get to."
Today, Army commanders rely on the Chinook to fly back into rear areas, pick up supplies and deliver them directly to the soldier in the foxhole, Weaver said. "The Chinook can do that, but it wasn't really designed for that mission. It operates at low altitude and that opens (Chinooks) up to ground fire. This aircraft is pressurized and would fly over the threats."
Beyond the traditional cargo and troop mission, the aircraft would help National Guard troops carry a variety of communications gear that could support natural disaster relief, Weaver said.
"It's a very versatile aircraft," Weaver said. "It's not just an airborne truck."
© 2005 The Huntsville Times
© 2005 al.com All Rights Reserved