Seasprite Decision Soonish, Fate of Sea Sprites in New Year decision

[Luig]

http://rnzaf.proboards43.com/index.cgi?board=Aussie&action=display&thread=1164237680

Seasprite decision by next year
November 22, 2006 03:18pm
Article from: AAP.

The fate of the controversial Seasprite helicopters will be known next year
with Cabinet set to sign off on a final decision on either persevering or
killing off the project.

Defence Minister Brendan Nelson said he had refined his three options -
continuing to completion, accepting a lesser level of capability or
cancelling the project entirely - down to two.

But he declined to say which two remained.

"I held a very high level meeting last week with the appropriate defence,
naval, air force and Defence Materiel Organisation officials," he said.

"I have asked for a little bit more work to be done. I was anticipating a
decision on this before Christmas but it won't be until the new year now.

"I will take a recommendation to Cabinet as it is a decision that needs to
be made by cabinet. We need to take the next step with our eyes open."

The $1 billion Seasprite project dates from 1997 when the Government ordered
11 helicopters from the US company Kaman to operate from the Navy's Anzac
frigates.

What wasn't widely known at the time was that Australia was buying used but
fully refurbished choppers, with seven built between 1963 and 1965 and
others in the mid-1980s.

It wasn't the airframes that were the problem.

Rather, Defence specified a very advanced radar and weapons capability
including computer datalinks enabling the Seasprites to serve as the
extended eyes of a warship 50 kilometres away.

There have been problems with aircraft flight control systems but the major
cause of delay was in integrating the software combat system.

Dr Nelson said he remained satisfied the navy still needed the capability
for a helicopter, flying from a frigate, to fire anti-ship missiles.

He said he would discuss the project with Kaman officials in Washington next
month.

"One thing is for sure, if on balance proceeding or not proceeding is the
preferred way to go, I am very happy to make that decision," he said.

"I hasten to add for those who derive a perverse sense of pleasure from
projects that don't go as well as they should, this is a legacy project.
This is not a project we would go into today.

"We wouldn't take a 1960s platform and put 2006 technology into it. The
challenge here was to put 2006 Commodore technology into an EH Holden.

"In 2006 we would not go into a project that gives us 11 helicopters of
their technological type that are the only ones in the world."
Phil.

[darren.crick]

have we tried to do something more with the Seasprites??

Others seem to have operated them without issues...