NZ looking at ex-RAN Seasprites

It looks like Kaman are still trying to offload those ex-RAN Seasprites (where they ever actually accepted as RAN?)

http://www.shephardmedia.com/news/rotorhub...ustralian-seas/

Behind the reason: Maintenance sucks due to effort and money given it seems
Maintenance of the Seasprite Helicopter

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Executive Summary

Introduction
1.The Seasprite helicopter is an important contributor to the NZDF's maritime capabilities. In recent years there has been a marked increase in the length of time Seasprites are unavailable due to maintenance demands.
2.This audit looked at the maintenance and support arrangements for the Seasprites, to inform the Minister of Defence and the NZDF of any areas of weakness or avenues of improvement.
3.Field work for this review was completed in November 2010.

Overview
4.A fleet of five Kaman SH-2G(NZ) Seasprites (Seasprite), operated by No 6 Squadron of the RNZAF, provides an integral aviation capability for the ANZAC Class frigates, the Amphibious Sealift ship, and the Offshore Patrol Vessels.
5.The Output currently requires the Naval Helicopter Forces to maintain, through NZDF Output Expense 11, an ability to embark three Seasprites concurrently. To achieve this No 6 Squadron needs to deliver four serviceable Seasprites for the majority of the year, one each for the embarked flights and one to maintain the flying skills of the remaining crews and to train new crews, and the logistic support services to achieve this.
6.The availability of serviceable helicopters has declined as scheduled maintenance requirements have increased significantly. In 2009/2010, the Seasprites delivered only 882 flying hours against an initial target range of 1,240 to 1,370 hours. That target was reassessed during the year to 904 hours, in reflection of the difficulty being experienced in keeping enough helicopters available.

Findings
7.In late October 2010, just one Seasprite was available for tasking. Two were undergoing Phase servicing (a type of deep maintenance) and the remaining two were awaiting Phase servicing.8.Phase servicing has been lengthening, in both the number of labour hours required and the time out of service. The two aircraft in Phase servicing in October had exceeded previous benchmarks for duration and effort.
9.Support arrangements for the Seasprite are complex. NZDF reorganisations, most notably the formation of the Defence Logistics Command have intensified this complexity. The Defence Logistics Command has taken over responsibility for all maintenance conducted outside No 6 Squadron.
10.There are a number of significant issues that affect the state of the Seasprite fleet. These include: a.only a small number of this aircraft have been produced. The five New Zealand aircraft are unique in a number of significant areas;
b.the arrival of the Protector ships, which has increased the number of ships able to operate Seasprites;
c.lengthy lead times for the supply of spares and engineering support from the manufacturer, Kaman;
d.the New Zealand aircraft are the only fully operational Seasprites and as a consequence have become the Seasprite fleet leaders;
e.the inability of the RNZAF to cope with the expanding time frames of Phase servicing as the aircraft have aged; and
f.some failures and inefficiencies in NZDF training and processes.

11.Corrosion and vibration damage are the main maintenance issues on the Seasprite. Corrosion is an age related issue common to all aircraft. Regular operation of the Seasprite in a corrosive, salt-laden environment exacerbates maintenance issues. Good prevention and husbandry can slow, but not stop, the rate of airframe deterioration. We think the NZDF needs to improve training and perform more research in this area. Vibration damage is endemic to helicopters and worsens in line with hours flown rather than physical age. The only way to ameliorate it is to lower flying hours, which is not a viable option if capability is to be maintained.
12.It is usual for repair of corrosion and vibration damage to occur at a Depot Level Maintenance servicing, where aircraft are heavily stripped down and refurbished. The Seasprite does not have a depot level servicing regime, but relies on an inspection programme borrowed from the United States Navy. The United States Navy programme was intended to trigger a Depot Level Maintenance servicing if required, but has not been used this way by the NZDF. The NZDF only fixes damage found during Phase servicing and does not strip Seasprite airframes in the same manner as it does for other aircraft types. Phase servicings and inspections are less extensive than a depot level maintenance servicing. The RNZAF considered whether to have a depot level maintenance programme in 2009. Since then the work arising from damage found during Phase inspections has increased significantly. There has not been a properly balanced and costed study to compare the current Phase servicing regime to a conventional Intermediate and Depot Level maintenance regime.
13.The amount of deferred maintenance transferred to Phase servicings is increasing rapidly. At least two recent Phase servicings contained a deferred maintenance component that required more labour hours than almost any complete Phase servicing undertaken prior to 2010. We think the accumulation of deferred maintenance feeds a cycle of an ever increasing backlog of work. The longer the Phase servicings take, the fewer aircraft are available for flying, and the stronger the pressure to defer maintenance to maximise operational availability of the remaining fleet. This in turn lengthens the next Phase servicing. The identification of increasing levels of corrosion and vibration damage exacerbates this cycle.
14.There is a linkage between aircraft maintenance programmes and Output expectations of aircraft availability. Our assessment is that the current Output requirements, necessitating retention of three aircraft for embarkation in ships while retaining one aircraft in No 6 Squadron for training, are unachievable.
15.The forecast duration of scheduled servicings also informs maintenance arrangements. These forecasts are derived from trends based on historical data. Such forecasts are inadequate when the maintenance situation changes quickly, as has happened for the Seasprite. The NZDF needs a more forward looking approach for its forecasts, including better recognition of the effects of aircraft and component aging.
16.The involvement of Safe Air New Zealand in performing Phase servicings has increased since early 2010. Safe Air New Zealand now performs half of such servicings. The company is also providing an increasing volume of component repairs under license from Kaman.
17.We identified a number of personnel management issues that should be addressed.

Maintenance costs
18.We intended to analyse the costs of Seasprite maintenance, and to compare the cost of Phase servicing undertaken by No 6 Squadron and by Safe Air New Zealand. The NZDF could not provide us with data to enable us to perform such analyses. Defence Logistics Command should examine the effective and comprehensive budgeting and cost control methods utilised for warship maintenance and upkeep, to identify ways of improving budgeting and cost control of aircraft maintenance.

RNZAF review of phase servicing
19.Logistics Command (Air) was trialling a modified management structure for the Phase C servicing of Seasprite NZ3605 during our review. The post activity report of that trial, completed after we finished our information gathering, shows that the trial ‘successfully uncovered many opportunities for improvement and potential financial savings in the way Seasprite phase servicings are conducted.'1 There is consistency between the issues identified in that report and the issues we identified.
20.In our view, the key issues identified by the post activity report, and which we support, concern: a.high consumption of parts during a servicing and poor recognition of the cost of a ‘repair by replacement' philosophy;
b.the cost benefits to be obtained by greater use of RNZAF resources to repair components rather than relying on their return to the manufacturer;
c.management of personnel resources, the adverse impact of frequent changes in assigned technicians, and low levels of experience;
d.inefficient practices in the shipment of freight from Kaman to New Zealand due to NZDF and RNZAF policies; and
e.the impact of high levels of work being deferred from flight line servicing to Phase servicing. Unnecessary deferral adds to the work to be done during the Phase servicing and necessitates extension to the Phase programme.


Recommendations
21.It is recommended that the NZDF: a.investigates the causes of the increasing amount of deferred maintenance on the Seasprite fleet and identifies ways to reduce or better manage it;
b. undertakes a robust study of the merits of the current Phase servicing strategy versus an Intermediate Level Maintenance and Depot Level Maintenance strategy;
c.undertakes a comprehensive analysis of the costs of Seasprite maintenance;
d.draws upon the planning, budgeting, cost control and monitoring practices used by the Logistics Command (Maritime) to improve the financial and budgetary management of aircraft Phase maintenance
e.evaluates the cost effectiveness of contracting Safe Air New Zealand to conduct Phase servicing compared to No 6 Squadron performing this work;
f.reviews, with assistance from the Defence Technology Agency, the adequacy of training and implementation of corrosion prevention, detection and repair programmes;
g.improves communications between No 6 Squadron and the Aircraft Maintenance Planning Unit;
h.improves the accuracy and fidelity of maintenance data being entered into NZDF engineering systems by both the NZDF and Safe Air New Zealand;
i.reviews engineering manuals and leaflets to ensure they correctly and consistently reflect what maintenance is to be accomplished both ashore and afloat;
j.provides the holders of Delegated Engineering Authority and senior engineering management with information on the accumulated deferrals on an airframe;
k.requires the RNZAF to make available a suitably experienced engineering officer or warrant officer, from other than No 6 Squadron, to assist the Maritime Operational Evaluation Team assess the performance of embarked maintenance teams;
l.reviews training and employment of technicians at No 6 Squadron to ensure it is appropriate for embarked maintenance teams;
m.ensures all inspections required for a Phase servicing are performed at the start of the Phase service to maximise the available time for obtaining any spares or components needed to rectify work arising but which are not currently available;
n.requires the allocation of temporary NATO stock numbers to reduce delays in placing orders for items not previously stocked by the NZDF;
o.in conjunction with Safe Air New Zealand, coordinates ordering procedures so that there is visibility of the total New Zealand requirement for, and usage of, Seasprite spares irrespective of whether an item is required by Safe Air New Zealand or the RNZAF;
p.improves communication with Safe Air New Zealand over the local manufacture of components under licence, where this is likely to improve delivery lead times;
q.investigates the benefits achievable through having one agency (either the RNZAF or Safe Air New Zealand) as the main provisioner for both organisations;
r.adopts a four-year posting cycle to No 6 Squadron Maintenance Flight, with the last year to be spent ashore supervising and passing on knowledge gained at sea to the new first year staff; and
s.establishes simple and effective administrative arrangements for RNZAF technical personnel moving between No 6 Squadron and a ship.

Possible Penguin sale


ADM,......25 Sep 2013

Julian Kerr

New Zealand is negotiating the possible purchase of some of Australia's stock of Penguin anti-ship missiles with the Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence Systems, according to well-informed sources.

Well thought they were still in Oz,...... circa 140 Rounds

Best
Gordy

First flight
https://twitter.com/jackrs55/status/4545162...2401152/photo/1
https://twitter.com/jackrs55/status/4545162...2401152/photo/1

Thanks Sean,

Well spotted.

I note that it has the temporary registration N167KM.

Cheers

Brendan

Attached Image

Looks like another update coming up!

More info,.....

.N167KM,with KAMAN AEROSPACE CORP,ss SH2-G(A),ex Bu No 163210 ex N29-163210 "850". Pretty important Bird,..Prior to rebuild for use with RAN it was a SH-2F and the SH-2G Prototype.

But wait, there's more,..

#2 Aircraft registered is N332KM, with KAMAN AEROSPACE CORP,SH2-G(A),ex Bu No 152205 ex N29-152205 "846". Its history goes back as long way as once being almost every model there was; UH-2B, HH-2D & SH-2F and SH-2G(A).

Two SH-2G(I) up, burning and turning to date, with the program on track with deliveries of all ten aircraft scheduled to be completed in mid-2015.

Best
Gordy

Thanks Gordy,

It is amazing how many times these airframes have been modded and rebuilt!

We'll have to update both our Aussie and Kiwi Seasprite pages!

Cheers

BC

Penguins & Modded Sprites INFO here:

RNZN's maritime helicopter flies with Penguin missiles in test flight 26 May 2014
Ridzwan Rahmat, Singapore - IHS Jane's Navy International

http://www.janes.com/article/38307/rnzn-s-...-in-test-flight

"A Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) Kaman SH-2G(I) Super Seasprite maritime helicopter fitted with Penguin anti-ship missiles underwent a successful test flight on 22 May at Kaman Aerospace's facilities in Connecticut, USA, said the RNZN.

The Penguin Mk 2 Mod 7 missiles are supplied by Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence Systems under a contract announced in November 2013 to replace the RNZN's AGM-65D Maverick air-to-surface missiles.

The 385 kg Penguin can deliver a 120 kg semi-armour piercing warhead over a range of 34 km, combining inertial midcourse guidance with an infrared homing seeker. The anti-ship missiles are being procured by New Zealand together with ten SH-2G(I) maritime helicopters and a mission flight simulator at a cost of NZD242 million (USD206 million).

The RNZN is replacing its fleet of five ageing SH-2Gs that have been in service since the 1990s with the ten platforms, two of which are being purchased as spare airframes. The first three SH-2G(I)s are scheduled for delivery by late 2014 while the total fleet is scheduled to be in service by 2016.

The SH-2G(I) can carry eight fully armed troops and two crew members. The aircraft has a maximum range in excess of 500 n miles on an endurance of more than five hours. It has a maximum cruise speed of 120 kt.

The RNZN said on 23 May that the SH-2G(I)s will be based with the No. 6 Squadron at RNZAF Base Whenuapai in Auckland and indicated that it may also deploy the helicopters on board its Canterbury-class multirole vessel as well as its Otago-class offshore patrol vessels and ANZAC (Meko 200)-class missile frigates."

http://www.janes.com/images/assets/307/38307/p1529625.jpg

This post has been edited by Luig on May 28 2014, 04:05 PM

Attached Image

Meanwhile,..what to do with the old ones?

The Peruvian navy is to acquire five ex RNZAF Kaman SH-2G Super Sea Sprite helicopters through the Canadian government. It is understood that the helicopters are the first five of the Royal New Zealand Navy’s current Sea Sprite fleet. New Zealand is currently in the process of acquiring 10 SH-2G(I) variants that had been previously ordered by Australia.

Interesting confirmed by another source: Janes

Peruvian and Canadian defence authorities on 9 October signed an agreement for the Peruvian Navy to receive five Kaman SH-2G Super Seasprite multirole helicopters.

The deal covers the acquisition of SH-2G helicopters in service with the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) since 2001. The aircraft will be acquired by General Dynamics Air & Space of Canada, which will then perform upgrade work prior to delivering the helicopters to the Peruvian Navy.

Meanwhile, the RNZAF Super Seasprite fleet is being replaced by eight former Australian SH-2G(I), the first of which performed its maiden flight last April and delivery is scheduled to be complete by mid-2015.


Gordy

New Zealand accepts first ex-Australian Super Seasprites 02 Dec 2014 Dominic Perry

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/...sprites-406656/

This post has been edited by Luig on Dec 3 2014, 08:13 AM

Where's Wally #11?

Ceremony to mark delivery of three SH-2G(I) Seasprite helicopters to New Zealand [06 Mar 2015?]

http://alert5.com/2015/03/06/ceremony-to-m...and/#more-35225

http://alert5.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/...239308514_o.jpg
&
http://alert5.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/...594576200_o.jpg
&
http://alert5.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/...463369069_o.jpg

Attached Image

Looks like a page update needed.
Has anyone got the RAN to RNZAF serial tie ups?
NZ3611/ NZ3612 / NZ3613

SH-2G(I) Super Seasprite Helicopter Formally Handed over to Royal New Zealand Navy 09 Mar 2015 Navy Recognition

http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/n...aland-navy.html

This post has been edited by Luig on Mar 10 2015, 06:41 PM

One page PDF from RNZAF Nov 2015 Newsletter about the Spritelies....

http://airforce.mil.nz/downloads/pdf/airfo...news/afn175.pdf

This post has been edited by Luig on Nov 13 2015, 06:41 AM

Attached File ( Number of downloads: 805 )
 SEAprites_ExOz_RNZAF_Nov_2015_afn175PRN.pdf