Oz axe Vietnam-era airframe orphan platform Seasprite

lionnoisy SG

Wah!!More than A$100,000,000 or 100 million for each platform spent and still cant operated in bad weather!!

Nine of the original order of 11 twin-engine SG-2G(A) Super Seasprites have been delivered to the navy's 805 Squadron based at Nowra, NSW, but have been grounded because of technical and air certification issues.

Oz axe Vietnam-era airframe orphan platform Seaspriteat last.

Money is small matter----,each @ A$66 million in 1997!

but the pressing question is:

How can oz to protect'' navy's Anzac class frigates

http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/anzac/

without a vital capability designed to protect them from hostile ships and submarimes''?

http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/anzac/

no more landing!!

I dunt know whether some platforms are not suitable for refurbishment /upgrading,or

some countries cant do this kind of jobs!!

(Oz M113 APC upgrading takes 10 years and still work in progress)

Do i look like anti--oz again?

I dunt know if oz short of good lawyers or good military officers to protect the country in a est A $1.3 billion defense contract.

When the products cant work properly,the Oz gavaman still cant sue the manufacturer!

Now I agree with LKY that he prefer 1st class honor law grad work for gavaman.

Pl dunt take this incident as pure politics.

The project should not have been started---wrong platform!!

oz new gavaman is right to scarp this long delaying projects and quickly get a replacement to protect the Anzac-- class Frigates!!

THE Rudd Government's decision yesterday to finally axe the $1billion Seasprite helicopter program has left the navy's Anzac class frigates without a vital capability designed to protect them from hostile ships and submarimes.

ps and submarines.Patrick Walters, National security editor | March 06, 2008

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23327008-31477,00.html

----

...The sorry saga will be studied by generations of defence procurement experts as a classic case of how not to go about a major equipment purchase.

The Seasprite project dates back to the early 1990s, when the navy wanted a helicopter for its planned "Offshore Patrol Combatant", a smaller warship it planned to build in partnership with Malaysia.

When the Malaysians pulled out, Defence should have axed the project, but the Seasprites were then earmarked for the Anzac-class frigates, with a contract finally signed in 1997.

Australia's Defence Department stands indicted for approving an "orphan platform" uniquely designed for our navy with the extraordinarily ambitious aim of incorporating state-of-the-art avionics into a 1960s airframe. ..

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23327014-31477,00.html

pl read other articles in this link.

2.pl read my old postings

http://www.sgforums.com/posts/search?q=Seasprite

http://www.sgforums.com/forums/1164/topics/236721

Posted on 10.Feb .2007

Oh My God!Why Aussie spent good A$667m to buy 11 Vietnam era
heli air frame ,each A$66 million in 1997.To be fair

, seven of Australia's Seasprites were built between 1963 and 1965.
The remaining four were constructed between 1985 and 1986.

I think in that unit price of A$66 million ,they can buy F16C/D.
BTW,how much F16 then?

2.Vietnwm era products

The original $667 million contract with Kaman, signed in 1997, .called for the supply of 11 helicopters. The one-off project involved fitting a wholly new avionics package designed for the Royal Australian Navy into a 1960s airframe

3.Other people scrap metal,My treasure bought at gold price

The US Navy phased out Seasprites, nicknamed "Seapigs" by their American crews, in the early 1990s (Note:Aussie contract sign in 1997!!)and the last of them stopped flying with a US naval reserve unit in 2000.

Oh I just know Aussie, like SG,
loves to buy bargain scrap and refurbrish it.But SG is considered
much smart in the market and known as Reference Customer in defense
procurement!!

4.Worse,the good managemnet there make the

Seasprites, nicknamed "Seapigs"

to be chopped.Aussie tax payer now kiss the A$1,000,000,000 or $1 billion away,even the project is 6 years behind schedule.

seven of Australia's Seasprites were built between 1963 and 1965.
The remaining four were constructed between 1985 and 1986.
unit price of A$66 million,bought in 1997!!

5.search ''Kaman+Seasprites'' in http://sg.yahoo.com/?rs=1

6.Pl tell me why Aussie buy old heli 10 years ago with so many choice in the market.$$$ is a small issue compared with the reasons to Buy old air frame !!

7.Aussie police force :

was riddled with "deep-seated and continuing corruption".

-- Don Stewart.Mr Stewart, one of Australia's most respected judicial figures.
--http://www.ntnews.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,7034,21050190%255E421,00.html

I can say this apply to other ministries of Aussie,sad to say.

3.i feel a joke that the heli was decribed as ''state of the art'' here.

http://www.defence.gov.au/cgi-bin/htsearch?words=Seasprites&submit=Search

4.here are more info:http://www.defence.gov.au/minister/NelsonMinTranscripttpl.cfm?CurrentId=5644

The concern that I have is that the project, due largely to problems with the prime contractor, Carmen, and some other technical difficulties, this project is now five years behind. The Director of Naval Aviation has had no choice but to ground the helicopters until recent further software problems have been resolved.

5.The helicopters were grounded in May 2006, after problems with the flight control system and ITAS software. A review of the programme was initiated in May 2006 and, in May 2007, the RAN decided to continue with the project rather than pursue alternatives. The helicopters are expected to achieve initial operating capability in 2011. The RAN SH-2G(A) are armed with Kongsberg Penguin mk2 mod 7 air-to-surface missiles, with a range of over 30km, and mk46 torpedoes.

http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/anzac/

lionnoisy SG

To be fair,i put more info to show if i am anti--oz.Oz spent A 1.3 billion and can be used for “passenger and supply transport in good weather” only!!

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/

05-Mar-2008 18:03 EST

In 1997, Australia signed an $A 667 million contract with Kaman to purchase 11 upgraded SH-2G (A) “Super Seasprites,” with modernized avionics. This compact helicopter design was thought to be well suited to operation from the RAN’s ANZAC Class frigates, and even from patrol boats with helicopter decks. The first helicopter was unveiled in 2003, but by 2005 up to 40 deficiencies had been identified including inability to operate in bad weather and low-light conditions, and inability to meet Australian airworthiness certification standards. Placing modern avionics into a 1960s airframe proved challenging indeed; the helicopters were restricted to “passenger and supply transport in good weather” in 2005, then grounded in May 2006.

The project is now 6 years behind schedule, costs have risen over 50% to $A 1.1 billion (currently about $900 million) for 11 helicopters, and the program is being used as a case study in the Australian Defence College’s leadership and ethics course. It’s estimated that at least $A 45 million more and 29 months of work would be required to make them serviceable, with full operational status unlikely until at least 2010. Other SH-2 operators include New Zealand (from its ANZAC frigates), Egypt, and Poland.

In 2007, Australia’s Liberal Party government elected to continue the Super Seasprite program - but their successor Labor government has now reversed that decision…

more...http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/australia-to-continue-with-illstarred-sh2g-seasprite-project-03338/#more-3338

2.tell me whether Oz scarp it for political reasons or real operational reasons.

Now,who and what to protect Anzac class Frigate,one of the 2 major surface combat platforms?

What if Oz facing military threats now?

What platforms Oz can activate?

Oh?Dunt count on FPDA!!It is only Oz and other 3 countries help SG.

But not the reverse!!

lionnoisy SG

This invaluable lesson to SG shall be discussed in SG Staff College.

Heading for the scrapheap: Australian Navy Seasprite helicopters at the HMAS Albatross base in Nowra, NSW

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/defence/

07 mar 2008

read more defense news in above links so i will not be labelled as anti--oz!!

2.Wah!!More than A$100,000,000 or 100 million for each platform spent and still cant operated in bad weather!!