Battlefield Support Helo Requirement

[Old Redeye]

"AgustaWestland is pleased to announce that Phil Goff, Minister of Defence of New Zealand, and Mrs Gala Gonçalvès, General Manager of NHIndustries, signed the contract to supply 9 NH90TT medium-lift helicopters to provide 8 operational helicopters to the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF)."

The IAC should promptly order 4-5 NH-90TT's to satisfy the deployable Battlefield Support Helicopter requirement, for delivery from 2009, after all four AW-139's have been brought into service in the domestic National Support Role, with a declared commitment to the EU of a detachment of three NH-90's by the end of 2010.  NH-90 offers excellent capability and compatability with the Nordic Plus battlegoup countries - NH-90's already on order by Finland, and likely by Norway.

[Turkey]

Would it not be better to buy more AB/AW-139's and keep the types to the minimum?
    But I do recognise that the NH-90 does provide considerable extra capacity.
     IMHO, it is a better choice for the medium helicopter then the EH101.....but the truth is that a 1/2 dozen Pumas should have been bought years ago, but well history is history.

[Old Redeye]

Good point Turkey.  The AW-149 miltary version is the natural candidate and probably still should be.  As I just learned today the RNZAF will not commence delivery of their NH-90's until 2010, meaning the IAC could not expect deliveries before 2011 even if they concluded an order today, making the anticipated AW-149 availability in 2011 much more palatable.  Also, possibly the most important point, 4-5 AW-149's will likely cost about half the same number of NH-90's.  

Therefore, maybe the right answer is the AW-149, with perhaps a no-cost/low-cost lease of a couple utility AW-139's from about 2009 until commencement of AW-149 deliveries.