Is Italy's Leonardo involved in engine supply for T129B Attack Helicopters for the Philippine Air Force?

 

Previous posts we made confirmed that the Department of National Defense (DND) already released the Notice of Award (NOA) for the Philippine Air Force's Attack Helicopter Acquisition Project in favor of Turkey's Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), and has signed the contract with TAI a few months ago.

This was after TAI, which offered its T129B ATAK attack helicopter, was selected by the PAF for the project, and the DND's Bids and Awards Committee finding TAI and the T129B ATAK meeting all requirements it submitted as part of the tender.

The TAI T129B ATAK attack helicopter, which is contracted for delivery to the Philippine Air Force. Photo credited to Reddit.

But due to issues surrounding Turkey's ability to have a steady supply of US-made engines, specifically the LHTEC CTS800 turboshaft engines, due to Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) being potentially imposed on Turkey, the DND delayed the project's contract signing with TAI. And even when the contract was signed, the DND held the release of the Notice to Proceed (NTP) for sometime.

CAATSA Against Turkey:

According to MaxDefense's military, defense and industry sources, as well as sources from the US, all confirmed that Turkey was indeed affected by the declining relations with the US, and has failed to get the export license for the supply of LHTEC CTS800 turboshaft engines powering the T129B ATAK attack helicopters.

The LHTEC CTS800 turboshaft engine, the main issue of TAI's problems to supply the T129 attack helicopter to the Philippines. Photo credited to Honeywell Aerospace.

The ban, which was said to have been set in early 2020, jeopardized TAI's export of the T129B ATAK, in addition to its existing contract to supply 30 units to the Pakistani Army, and a potential to sealing a deal with the Philippines DND to supply 6 units plus follow-on orders for the Philippine Air Force.

Without the engines, it would be impossible for Turkey to close its deals, and secure further export orders in the global market.

Further information shares to us by American sources confirmed that in early 2020, the DND was urged to talk to the US Embassy and to Joint US Military Advisory Group - Philippines (JUSMAG Philippines) to confirm the US government's export license rejection. But for some reason, the DND did not make an official enquiry, which could  have allowed the US government to provide a formal reply and explain the situation to the DND.

Turkey's insistence to procure the Russian S-400 long range air defense system (above), plus its activities in Syria and Armenia may have contributed to the rejection of export license of the LHTEC engines. Photo credits to Popular Mechanics.

The Waiting Game:

Between the time the NOA for the PAF's Attack Helicopter Acquisition Project was released to TAI up until mid 2020, the DND was said to be in continuous talks with TAI and the Turkish government regarding the issue of the helicopter engines and avionics availability, despite a contract already signed between the 2 parties.

Before the contract was signed between the DND and TAI, the PAF was getting ready for a possible cancellation of the NOA with TAI, and it made a re-evaluation of the project which resulted to the selection of an American-made helicopter as a possible replacement to the T129B ATAK.

Among those reconsidered were the Bell AH-1Z Viper (top) and the Sikorsky S-70i Armed Black Hawk (above). Photos credits to Flight Global and Defense News.

For some reason, the DND decided to continue negotiations with TAI, despite the growing list of reasons for the US government to reject its export of the LHTEC engines to Turkey, and even further imposing more sanctions against Turkey. Apparently, Turkey gave a guarantee to the DND that they can supply the helicopters with the complete engines and avionics, which was the reason why the DND continued with signing a contract with TAI.

A few months ago, we received confirmation from DND sources that Turkey negotiated with the DND on the Notice to Proceed (NTP). Apparently, TAI was pushing for the release of the Notice to Proceed (NTP) to be put on-hold. This is to allow TAI enough time to secure the LHTEC engines, and delay the start of production of the helicopters and the delivery date as this would be based on the date the NTP was released by TAI.

This is unfair to the Philippine side, since Turkey securing the LHTEC engines may take years considering its poor situation with the US government. If TAI never get to secure the engines, it means they are not liable for late deliveries should the Philippines agree to such arrangements.

Use of Turkish Engines Not an Option:

Despite Turkey developing a new indigenous turbine engine to power locally-made helicopters like the T129 ATAK and the T625 Gokbey helicopters, Turkey itself confirmed that development and testing of the engines are still ongoing, and it will take a few years for the engine to reach serial production, most likely by 2024 at earliest.

MaxDefense also mentioned before that testing, type certification of the T129 powered by the new engine, and other processes will take years, and it would be too late for the PAF and DND if it waiting for the local engine to be used on the T129 attack helicopter.

Even within the PAF and DND, it appears that the use of unproven Turkish engines are out of the question, as a major subsystem like an engine will need to meet the Philippines' legal government procurement and AFP modernization acquisition requirements that requires it to be a proven product.

The PAF being made as a guinea pig is definitely not acceptable.

The TEI TS1400 turboshaft engine from Turkey is still far from production, and is still an unproven product even by then. Photo credits to Defense Turkey Magazine.

Turkey Provides Guarantee to Supply Complete Helicopter:

Recenty, our sources confirmed that the DND has recently released the 15% initial payment for the Attack Helicopter Acquisition Project, which means that the DND already has released the NTP for the project. Thus, it means that TAI is now legally liable for the delivery of the helicopters for the PAF.

This also means that the DND has accepted the guarantee from TAI and the Turkish government that they can supply the T129B ATAK attack helicopters with the needed engines and avionics, and provide support, spares and logistics needs for the aircraft.

So how did Turkey get a secure source of LHTEC engines for the Philippine T129Bs?

According to our sources, the engines would be supplied through TAI's Italian partner on the T129 program, defense conglomerate Leonardo.

The A129 Mangusta attack helicopter, which is the basis of the T129 ATAK attack helicopter. This example is with the Italian Army. Photo credits to Airliners.net.

For those who are unfamiliar, the T129 ATAK was actually based on the Agusta A129 Mangusta (Mongoose), which is now a legacy product of Leonardo. The T129 is essentially an A129 helicopter but was modernized and improved by TAI, while using a large percentage of Turkish subsystems and parts, and integration with Turkish-developed munitions. The A129 uses the less powerful and older Rolls Royce Gem 2-1004D engines.

Also, Leonardo has good experience with the LHTEC CTS800 turbine engine as it also powers the AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat naval helicopters. And to make things better for TAI, Leonardo is supporting the CTS800 engines found on the AW159 Wildcat helicopters of the Philippine Navy.

Leonardo has partners in the Philippines that can do the engine installations on the T129B ATAK on behalf of TAI. Photo credited to Scramble Magazine.

Potential Arrangements:

So, with Leonardo in charge of engine supply, it means that TAI will still be in charge of supplying the complete helicopters being the main contractor for the project. But the process might be different in this case.

It is highly possible that TAI will start building the helicopters, and will receive the engines from Leonardo. But while the helicopters might be completed in Turkey, there is also a chance that the helicopters might be delivered to the Philippines without the engines, and that the engines will be installed, integrated and tested in the Philippines.

If that happens, Leonardo might be doing the engine integration on behalf of TAI since Leonardo already has partners in the Philippines who can do the engine installation and integration works.

If such arrangement happens, the flight tests would also be done in the Philippines, and so is the pre-delivery inspection and acceptance by the DND and PAF's Technical Inspection and Acceptance Committee (TIAC) and Project Management Team (PMT).

Risks and Potential Problems:

MaxDefense Philippines believes that while this is possible, this could be a risky undertaking by both TAI and the DND, since Leonardo may encounter problems of its own in obtaining the LHTEC engines, especially if the US government takes notice of the arrangement. It is very obvious that TAI is using Leonardo as a proxy, and the US government may still impose export license restrictions.

Should Leonardo fail to get the engines, it means delays in the Attack Helicopter Acquisition Project, since time spent on dealing with TAI would be worthless, and getting back the payment could be a sore legal issue that could take time to settle.

Also, should TAI be successful in delivering the T129B attack helicopters completely in any arrangement, there is still the risk of TAI possibly failing to provide proper support for the helicopters especially with regards to the engines and select avionics affected by the US export ban.

In foresight, even if TAI succeeds in delivering the 6 T129B attack helicopters to the PAF, there is also a chance that it could encounter issues in the future if the PAF decides to do a follow-on order, considering the situation between Turkey and the US remains tense even with a new leadership in the US government under President-elect Joe Biden in power by 2021.

Alternatively, the DND could have just gone with better options rather than take a risk that could be detrimental to Philippine interests and security plans.

Project Summary:

Attack Helicopter (Horizon 2)Acquisition Project:

Note: Edited as of 23 December 2020.

* End User: Philippine Air Force (15th Strike Wing)

* Quantity: 6 units

* Modernization Phase: Horizon 2 Phase of RAFPMP

* Project ABC: Php13,800,000,000.00

* Acquisition Mode: Government-to-Government deal with Turkish Ministry of Defense.

* Source of Funding: GAA Funds through AFP Modernization Program Trust Fund, to be paid via Multi-Year Obligation Authority (MYOA) process.

* SARO Release/s: TBA

* Winning Proponent: Turkish Aerospace Industries

* Product for Delivery: starting late 2021, complete by 2022.

* Contract Price: TBA

* First post by MaxDefense: TBA

* MaxDefense Searching Hashtag: #PAFAHAcquisition #PAFAHPhase2Acquisition

* Status: TWG selected TAI T129 ATAK as basis for the Attack Helicopter project in 2018. Despite re-evaluation made in 2019 after Turkey had problems obtaining US and EU-sourced subsystems, NOA awarded to Turkish Aerospace Industries although PAF is looking at alternatives to the T129. Contract signed with TAI in 3rd quarter 2020, NTP and initial funding released as of November 2020.

The T129B ATAK attack helicopter. Photo credits to HeliHub.

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First release: 23 December 2020
Copyright MaxDefense Philippines

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Philippine Navy to receive new AW159 and KAAV-7A1 this May, to reach modernization milestones soon

After a long wait that involved project planning, procurement, and construction phases that spanned several years, the Philippine Navy (PN) was delighted to report that they are finally receiving two major weapon systems this May 2019, and will be formally inducted into service during their 121st Founding Anniversary celebrations.

These weapon systems are the AgustaWestland AW159 Mk. 220 Wildcat naval combat helicopters that were acquired under the Anti-Submarine Helicopter Acquisition Project, and the Hanwha Defense Systems KAAV-7A1 amphibious assault vehicles acquired under the Amphibious Assault Vehicle Acquisition Project. Both projects are part of the Horizon 1 phase of the Revised AFP Modernization Program (RAFPMP) initiated by the Aquino administration.

The AW159 Wildcat helicopters and KAAV-7A1 amphibious assault vehicles. Photos taken from and credited to Westleigh Bushell/Spotter Magazine (left) and Ahn Seung Bum/DefenseTimes.kr.

Delivery of AW159 Wildcat helicopters:

Note: for more information about the project including a summary and detail updates on the project prior to delivery, you can refer to our main portal specific for the project:

“Leonardo AW159 Wildcat naval helicopter of the Philippine Navy” – specifically talks about the acquisition of the AW159 Wildcat

“The Anti-Submarine Helicopter Acquisition Project (Horizon 1) of the Philippine Navy” – discusses the actual project prior to the selection of the product for delivery.

One of the AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat bound for the PN, seen here mounted with a training torpedo round on April 2019.
Photo taken from and credited to UK plane spotter Liam Toohill (aviation.too).

The Philippine Navy ordered the AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat naval combat helicopters after the Department of National Defense (DND) signed a contract with AgustaWestland (now part of Leonardo Group) for two units under a deal worth Php5.36 billion.

Originally the helicopters were supposed to be delivered on or before 29 September 2018 as stipulated in the contract, but Leonardo requested for a six-month time extension, with the delivery rescheduled to March 2019 and approved by the DND.

Due to circumstances, Leonardo can only deliver the helicopters by May 2019.

The first helicopter, with temporary UK serial number ZZ549 was first seen by British plane spotters on November 2018, while the second helicopter with temporary UK serial number ZZ550 was first seen by plane spotters on January 2019.

Both helicopters were used for training the air and ground crew of the Philippine Navy, which appears to have been trained pretty well by one of the most experienced Wildcat pilots in the UK.

The two AgustaWestland AW159 as they leave Yeovil for London-Stansted Airport for delivery preparation..
Photo taken by and credited to Westleigh Bushell and Spotter Magazine.

UK plane spotters and Dutch aviation media outlet Scramble Magazine confirmed on April 30 that the two helicopters were being flown from Leonardo’s facility in Yeovil to the London-Stansted Airport in preparation for delivery to the Philippines via a chartered civilian Antonov An-124 Ruslan strategic airlifter. The helicopters were disassembled to fit the transport aircraft, and was said to have left London-Stansted Airport on 05 May 2019 (UK standard time).

The aircraft carrying the helicopters is expected to reach Manila by 07 May 2019, although some additional information received by MaxDefense shows that trucks that will bring the helicopters from Manila to the Naval Aviation Group (NAG) facility in Danilo Atienza Air Base in Cavite City where the helicopters will be re-assembled and tested.

The two AgustaWestland AW159 Mk220 Wildcat naval helicopters for the Philippine Navy as they were prepared for delivery aboard a chartered Antonov An-124 Ruslan civilian heavy strategic airlifter.
Photos taken from and credited to Jojo Palma of Philippine Plane Spotters Group (PPSG).

** Update as of 07 May 2019:

They're finally home!

The An-124-100M Ruslan transport aircraft carrying the AW159s aeeived around 0340H 07 May 2019 in NAIA. Photos credited to Paolo Guinto (top) and John Bats (above), all from Philippine Plane Spotters Group FB page.

Delivery of KAAV-7A1 amphibious assault vehicles:

Another major project for delivery this month is the KAAV-7A1 amphibious assault vehicles from Hanwha Defense Systems of South Korea.

One of the KAAV-7A1 bound for the Philippines prior to its shipment last April 2019.
Photo taken from and credited to Ahn Seung-Bum / DefenseTimes.kr through Bemil @ Chosun Korean Defense Page.

These vehicles were ordered by the DND from Samsung Techwin (now Hanwha Defense Systems) in mid-2016 in a deal worth Php2.423 billion (US$55.553 million), and were supposed to be delivered in 2 batches starting 26 August 2018, although based on DND documents Hanwha committed to deliver the 1st batch of KAAV-7A1 by April 2018, and the 2nd batch by August 2018.

Hanwha Defense Systems was not able to meet their commitment nor their contractual deadline, and the last commitment they made as confirmed by the Philippine Navy’s Flag Officer in Command (FOIC) Vice Adm. Robert Empedrad to be March 2019.

One of the KAAV-7A1 bound for the Philippines during assembly at Hanwha Defense System's facility in Changwon, South Korea. Photo taken from and credited to Kim Dae Young / 김대영의 M-Inside's Facebook page.

According to Korean news BizHankook   the first batch of 4 units of KAAV-7A1s were shipped by Hanwha Defense Systems to the Philippines on April 2019, although based on MaxDefense’s check with sources, it appears that the vehicles have not yet arrived and may only be on its way to the Philippines as of this writing.

This was later on confirmed too by Korean defense pages DefenseTimes.kr and Bemil Chosun Korean Defense Forum, which shared photos of at least two completed KAAV-7A1 vehicles said to be bound for the Philippines.

The photo shows that the vehicles are mounted with the standard manned turret based on the Cadillac Gage Up-Gunned Weapon Station for a 12.7mm M2HB or equivalent heavy machine gun and a Mk.19 or equivalent 40mm grenade launcher. The vehicles were pained in olive drab, and appears to be fitted with the Enhanced Applique Armor Kit (EAAK) at least on the front section. Since it is illogical to have a partial armouring, it is highly possible that the vehicles for the Philippine Marines will have the EAAK similar to those used by KAAV-7A1s used by the Republic of Korea Marine Corps (ROKMC).

A Philippine-bound KAAV-7A1 fitted with a Cadillac Gage Up-Gunned Weapon Station for a 12.7mm heavy machine gun and 40mm grenade launcher. It also shows what appears to be an incomplete installation of the Enhanced Applique Armor Kit (EAAK) that started on the front end. It remains to be seen how much of the vehicle will be covered by it.
Photo taken from and credited to Ahn Seung-Bum / DefenseTimes.kr

Two more major modernization projects of the Philippine Navy are entering major milestones in the next few weeks.


Launching of future BRP Jose Rizal:

The first one coming in this month is the launching of the lead ship of the Jose Rizal-class frigates, the future BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150) with Project Code P159, which was confirmed by PN FOIC Vice Adm. Robert Empedrad during an interview, wherein he said the launching will be happening sometime between 17-19 May 2019 in Hyundai Heavy Industry’s naval shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea.

A scale model of the Jose Rizal-class frigates, as provided by HHI to the DND and PN.
Photo exclusively shared to MaxDefense by one of our contributor.

The ship was born out of the Philippine Navy’s Frigate Acquisition Project, which is a Horizon 1 project under the Revised AFP Modernization Program.

It appears that the SND himself would be there, and it is also expected that the PN’s FOIC and other navy leaders would be there to attend the ceremonies.

Based on previous reports from the AFP and DND, as well as inputs from previous MaxDefense posts that were taken from different sources, the future BRP Jose Rizal had its first steel cutting ceremony on 01 May 2018, and the keel laying ceremony on 16 October 2018, is expected to be delivered to the Philippine Navy by 05 January 2020 (based on a delivery date of 1,095 calendar days from NTP release). This delivery date is still subject to changes, with the FOIC even mentioning March 2020 as an alternative delivery date.

Based on updated photos that MaxDefense received, the frigate is now almost ready for launching, with finishing work on the ship's exterior being done by workers, while we received info that work continues to be made inside the ship.

The future BRP Jose Rizal as it is on April 2019. Newer updates shows the finishing touches on the external parts of the ship already almost done, although a lot of subsystems including weapons and launchers, and sensors still need to be installed after the ship's launching.
Photo exclusively shared to MaxDefense by sources, decision to blacken the rest of the ship as sources wanted it to still be confidential.

Keel Laying of future BRP Antonio Luna:

Another milestone scheduled to be reached this month is the keel laying ceremony for the second Jose Rizal-class frigate, the future BRP Antonio Luna with Project code P160, which will take place after the launching of the future BRP Jose Rizal. The keel laying and assembly of the future BRP Antonio Luna will be done on the same spot where the future BRP Jose Rizal was assembled.

The ship had its first steel cutting ceremony on 17 September 2018, and is expected to be launched by December 2019.

Previous announcements mentioned that the future BRP Antonio Luna is scheduled for delivery to the Philippine Navy by 1st quarter of 2021, although it appears that its possible for Hyundai Heavy Industries to deliver the ship by 4th quarter of 2020 based on their current performance.

Photo during the keel laying ceremony of the future BRP Jose Rizal in 2018. The same ceremony will be held for the keel laying ceremony of the future BRP Antonio Luna this month. Photo from HHI.

Delivery of Pohang-class corvette BRP Conrado Yap in June or July 2019:

Works are still underway in South Korea on the Pohang-class Flight III corvette to be handed-over to the Philippine Navy by the South Korean government, which is to be named BRP Conrado Yap (PS-39). 

The former ROKS Chunju (PCC-762) of the ROKN, will be the future BRP Conrado Yap (PS-39) of the PN.

The transfer of the Pohang-class corvette is part of the Horizon 2 phase of the Revised AFP Modernization Program. It is also expected to be the first Horizon 2 project of the Philippine Navy that will be delivered.

But while the current project is considered a Horizon 2 project, the transfer of a Pohang-class corvette actually spanned several years that started during the Horizon 1 phase, but was delayed due to the rejection by the Philippine Navy of the first Pohang-class corvette offered by the South Korean government due to its poor condition. Re-negotiations for a newer ship was made, and it was only in 2017 that an agreement was made between the Philippine and South Korean sides.

Philippine Navy officers and sailors are already in Busan, South Korea to train in preparation of taking over the ship. These training includes on-shore academic and technical courses, as well as at-sea on the job training with the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) aboard active Pohang-class corvettes, and STX Offshore & Shipbuilding.

An invitation during the send-off ceremonies for the first batch of officers and sailors to train in South Korea in preparation of taking-over the Pohang-class corvette provided by the South Korean government.
Photo exclusively shared to MaxDefense by one of our contributor.

Previously MaxDefense reported that STX Offshore & Shipbuilding is the primary contractor on the rehabilitation works of the ship including providing the drydock, as well as the Weapons, Communications, Electronics, and Information Systems (WCEIS) works, while South Korean company Keumha Naval Technology Inc. (KHNT) handles the work on the ship's machinery and other repair works. Filipino company Apo Philtrade and Trading Services Inc. was contracted to provide the logistical requirements of the ship including consumables, furniture, among others.

Gun munitions appears to be provided in part by the Republic of Korea Navy, as well as purchased from South Korea's Poongsan. It also appears that the Philippine Navy will acquire some K6 12.7mm heavy machine guns from S&T Motiv. The ship won't have torpedoes with it when delivered, despite the torpedo launcher's availability.

Originally the timeline was for the ship to be delivered in 2018, but delays on the Philippine government's release of funding for works related on the ship pushed the schedule too long. Based on the latest information, the ship is scheduled to be officially handed-over, commissioned, and delivered to the Philippine Navy either within June or July 2019.

What's Expected Soon?

It would be noted that most of the upcoming assets were actually from the Horizon 1 phase, and it is expected to take several more years before the Philippine Navy can actually bear the fruits of the projects from the Horizon 2 phase. Out of 18 confirmed Horizon 2 projects of the PN, only 1 full project (Pohang-class corvette transfer) and 1 lot of another project (MPAC Batch 4 Combat Systems and Capability Upgrade) are awarded and contracted to proponents. That is a dismal accomplishment considering Horizon 2 has been in place for planned for since 2017, and approved for implementation since 2018. 

Also, a few more Horizon 1 and 2nd List of Horizon 1 projects are still being implemented until now, with the construction of the Multi-Purpose Attack Craft Batch 4 undetaken by Propmech Corporation-Lung Teh Shipbuilding Joint Venture expected to be completed within 2019.

MaxDefense looks forward on the Philippine Navy's 121st Founding Anniversary celebrations which will formally accept the AgustaWestland AW159 Mk.220 Wildcat naval helicopters and Hanwha Defense Systems KAAV-7A1 amphibious assault vehicles into service.

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Confirmed: Philippine Navy Acquires AgustaWestland AW-159 Lynx Wildcat as its Future Ship-based Anti-Submarine Warfare Helicopter

Previously MaxDefense discussed in several blog entries and in the MaxDefense FB community page, the Department of National Defense's (DND) then ongoing project for the Philippine Navy (PN), the Anti-Submarine Helicopter Acquisition Project (ASHAP). This project is part of the PN's Horizon 1 stage under the umbrella of the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program (RAFPMP).

Funded under Republic Act (RA) 10349, the Philippine Navy planned to acquire two (2) ASW helicopters that will be working together with another important PN project, the Frigate Acqusition Project (FAP), which will be discussed separately in another blog entry. The aircraft's mission is primarily, to conduct anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), and maritime patrol, while secondary missions are Search and Rescue (SAR), and passenger & cargo transport. The project also involves the acquisition of an initial batch of air-launched munitions for the helicopters, as well as an Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) package.

AgustaWestland's AW-159 Lynx Wildcat will be delivered to the Philippine Navy after winning the Anti-Submarine Helicopter Acquisition Project.
Photo copyright by Przemyslaw Burdzinski and taken from Planespotters.net website.

More discussions about the ASHAP can be found on previous MaxDefense blog entries below, and readers, especially those new to the project or new to MaxDefense blogs, are encouraged to read them:

1. Importance of ASW Helicopters for the Philippine Navy...Why Block their Acquisition? - dated March 31, 2014, discussing the importance of an ASW helicopter for the Philippine Navy;

2. Its a Cat Fight for the Philippine Navy's ASW Helicopter Acquisition Program - dated July 11, 2014, discusses the Technical Specification of the project, the events before the 1st stage bidding of the ASHAP, and the possible bid submissions of AgustaWestland and Airbus Helicopters-PTDI Joint Venture;

3. The Fight for the PN's ASW Helicopter Still On, and Possible Acquisition of the FASGW(H) Sea Venom Missile for the Helicopters - dated October 22, 2014, was a discussion after the the ASHAP 1st stage bidding failed. It also discusses the possible entry of the MBDA Sea Venom missile into the Philippine Navy.

Airbus-PTDI offered a navalized variant of the AS565 Panther helicopter, to be built under license by PTDI in Indonesia.
Photo copyright Augustas Didzgalvis and taken from Airliners.net website.

Pre-Win Short History of the Project:

During the first stage bidding held on October 2014, only two companies, Anglo-Italian company AgustaWestland Ltd. and French-Indonesian partnership Airbus Helicopters-PTDI joint venture, submitted their bids to the DND. AgustaWestland was said to have offered the AW-159 Lynx Wildcat, while Airbus-PTDI offered a navalized version of Airbus' AS565 Panther helicopter, licensed built by PTDI in Indonesia.

As indicated in previous Supplemental Bid Bulletins with DND's replies to queries made by Airbus-PTDI, it appears that they had some difficulties meeting requirements of the project, including a need for the manufacturer to have supplied a helicopter with a capability for ASW and ASuW in the past 10 years to foreign armed forces. It turns out that Airbus' Panther was supplied to foreign armed forces with either ASW or ASuW capability only in the past 10 years. Only AgustaWestland's bid was considered responsive after the bid opening ended, declaring them the Single Responsive Bidder and automatically disqualifying Airbus-PTDI from the race.

Other prospective bidders like Bell Helicopter Textron did not submit a bid.

Second stage bidding was made in 2015, with AgustaWestland complying with the technical, legal, financial, and other requirements stipulated in the specification. This automatically brought them to a lengthy Post Qualification stage, which they passed by late 2015 after having delays in the side of the Philippine government with regards to sourcing funds.

In the end, the DND issued a Notice of Award (NOA) to AgustaWestland sometime between February and March 2016, and a contract was finally signed on March 29, 2016 at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. The contract is worth Php 5,362,762,748.56, and will involve the delivery of AgustaWestland's AW-159 Lynx Wildcat naval helicopter. It is unclear though if the DND already provided a Notice to Proceed (NTP) to AgustaWestland, signifying to proceed the preparation and manufacturing of the helicopters and acquisition of subsystems and munitions.

The Philippine Navy joins the Royal Navy and the Republic of Korea Navy as the 3rd operator of the type. It would be used in tandem with the new frigates to be built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers of India.

A copy of the Notice of Award given by the DND to AgustaWestland.
Photo taken from PhilGEPS website, as raised by Herbie @ PDFF Forum.

AgustaWestland's Cat:

It was confirmed in the past by MaxDefense sources, and seconded by reports made by IHS Jane's and local media, that AgustaWestland's offer was the AW-159 Lynx Wildcat, a new product by the company but is a further development to the proven Lynx & Super Lynx series of naval helicopters. It is actually one of the newest naval helicopters in the market today, with the first production naval variant received by the Royal Navy only at the end of 2013, and in entering service in 2015.

The Lynx (above) and the Lynx Wildcat (below) flying side by side and can be used to differentiate the two naval helicopters. The shape may have similarities, but the Lynx Wildcat is a totally different bird that has little similarities in parts, equipment, and performance with its older stablemate.
Photo taken from Wikipedia.

The Wildcat is capable of both Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW), and could be armed with a variety of air-launched munitions, including anti-submarine lightweight torpedoes, small and medium anti-ship and air-to-ground missiles, rocket and gun pods, plus pintle-mounted machine guns.

It is equipped with a Selex Galileo Seaspray 7000E active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar to scan for surface targets, an L-3 Wescam MX-15Di electro-optical/infrared nose turret, and possibly the Thales Compact FLASH dipping sonar for submarine detection, which was chosen for use by South Korean Wildcats.

The Seaspray 7000E is a AESA multi-mode surveillance radar. Its solid-state transmitter improves its performance and maintainability than conventional radar, has a maximum range of 200 nautical miles, and could track up to 200 targets simultaneously, including small crafts. The use on Wildcats by the Royal Navy was its first launch customer, and it is likely that the Philippine Navy would also be using the same surveillance radar for its own fleet of Wildcats.

It is unclear which dipping sonar will the Philippine deal include, but MaxDefense believes that the PN may follow the South Koreans by adapting the Compact FLASH dipping sonar from Thales. This is a smaller version of those used by the US Navy with their MH-60R Seahawks, and are designed for smaller helicopters although the Royal Navy use them on the humongous AW-101 Merlin helicopters.

Currently the AW-159 is cleared to fire the British Sting Ray lightweight torpedo, while it is still being cleared to fire the new MBDA Sea Venom short-range anti-ship missile, which will replace the Sea Squa used by the older Super Lynx family, as well as the smaller Thales Martlet Lightweight Multirole Missile. 

In South Korean service, the Wildcat is also cleared to fire the Israeli-made Rafael Spike NLOS missile and the LIG Nex1 K745 Blue Shark torpedo. MaxDefense sources confirmed that Rafael is in talks with the Philippine Navy and AgustaWestland regarding the supply of these missiles to go with the delivery of the Wildcats. It appears that the Spike NLOS is gaining traction due to its immediate availability compared to the Sea Venom which is expected to only enter service with the Royal Navy by 2018, so it is not expected to be carried by the Philippine Navy Wildcat when it arrives. But it could be an option for the PN if they wish to have a bigger missile for use against ships instead of the Spike NLOS. Rafael's recent win to supply the PN with the Spike-ER for the Multi-Purpose Attack Crafts (MPAC) could also help push Rafael's offer.

It is also worth mentioning that there were indications that the PN prefer to use the Blue Shark torpedo, based on the Supplementary Bid Bulletin documents included in the Philippine Navy's Frigate Acquisition Program. 

The AW-159 can be equipped with the Sea Squa's successor, the MBDA Sea Venom anti-ship missile (foreground).
Photo taken from Wikipedia.

The helicopter is said to be the right size for the Philippine Navy's requirements, being smaller than the Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk from the US, and the NH90 FFH from Europe, but larger than the Airbus Helicopters AS565 Panther from France, which was actually the only other contender of the Wildcat in this contest. This also makes the helicopter cheaper than the Seahawk and the NH90, but is said to be more expensive than the Panther.



Bill of Quantities for AgustaWestland's Bid:

Based on the Bill of Quantities submitted by AgustaWestland together with their bid, the helicopters itself costs only a little over half of the total contract amount. The helicopter's subsystems, notably the sensors, and initial load-out of ammunition took a huge share of the contract amount. The sensors are the helicopter's primary component, which makes the helicopter a versatile naval system for surface surveillance, ASuW, and ASW.

It also shows that acquiring ammunition is not cheap, and being a new user of such munitions, it is expected that the Philippine Navy will have to acquire more and maintain enough supply of warshot munitions in preparation of conflict, and program for live fire exercises once in a while. 

The BOQ also clearly shows what the deal includes. From the list above, it is comprehensive enough to allow the PN to be gently moulded from zero to a proficient and capable user of the entire system, with sufficient mission essential equipment, support, training, and logistics included in the deal.

With the Philippine Navy starting to have such capabilities, it would be easier for them to acquire additional units in the future, as long as they follow the same mindset of including essential training and maintenance support packages in the contract.

The AW-159 Wildcat, with labelling of its components for reader's understanding.
Photo taken from Finmeccanica.

Early Delivery Reputation:

With AgustaWestland's previous deliveries of the smaller AW-109E Power helicopters to the Philippine Navy and Philippine Air Force, they were able to do so in a shorter span of time than what is stipulated in the contract. It is possible that AgustaWestland could also do the same with the AW-159 Wildcat, although it would be produced in a different factory than its smaller stable mate. The Wildcat will be built in AgustaWestland's facility in the United Kingdom, whereas the AW-109 were built in Italy.

Delivery is expected to be made in late 2018, although it is hoped that AgustaWestland can make a shorter delivery time even if production of the Wildcat for the British and South Korean navies are in full swing. This could allow the Philippine Navy to start training their men in the Philippines, and make the Wildcat unit into full operational status even if the new frigates are not yet available.. At a temporary basis, the Wildcat can be stationed with the Gregorio del Pilar-class frigates and conduct ship-based training not only for the pilots, but also for the ship and maintenance crews.



Finally...

Yes finally, after several attempts in the past to acquire a real ASW naval helicopter, the Philippine Navy is getting some. As more helicopter-capable naval assets become available, it is expected that the PN will request for more units as part of the Horizons 2 and 3 phases of the Revised AFP Modernization Program. MaxDefense will update its readers on this project, as it progresses until the next administration after those of Pres. Benigno Aquino III. 

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