The next stage of the New Medium Helicopter (NMH) Programme has been introduced by the Minister for Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge, right this moment.
The Ministry of Defence say that the NMH Programme is an initiative to amass a contemporary medium-lift help helicopter, which is able to ship as much as 5 rotary wing necessities utilizing a single aircraft-type.
“This implies that the platform will be capable to undertake Defence duties that have been beforehand undertaken by as much as 5 completely different plane varieties, streamlining our capabilities. This will enhance effectivity and operational flexibility, positively impacting ongoing and future UK operational functionality. Once in service, it would present the Armed Forces with a brand new medium carry plane able to working in all environments in help of a broad spectrum of Defence duties, from warfighting to humanitarian efforts and operations all over the world.
It was introduced on the International Military Helicopter convention in London right this moment that the Invitation to Negotiate has been launched, which means the three NMH candidate suppliers – Airbus Helicopters UK, Leonardo Helicopters UK and Lockheed Martin UK – will now compile their bids to be evaluated by the Ministry of Defence to find out the profitable bidder.”
The competitors might be managed by Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) and proposals might be evaluated by way of 2025 when, topic to Government approvals, a contract award is anticipated.
Minister for Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge mentioned:
“The New Medium Helicopter will present important help to our army operations, and we’re happy to have reached this next vital stage of the programme.
The programme’s competitors consists of important standards which are key to securing important rotary wing Operational Independence, permitting us to reply swiftly to rising threats in a extremely contested world.”
I reported final yr that new information from the Ministry of Defence revealed that the timeline for the New Medium Helicopter programme had been prolonged by three years, whereas the venture’s whole-life price has additionally seen a notable improve. The information, extracted from the MOD’s annual report on main initiatives for the monetary yr 22/23-This autumn, highlights the challenges and revisions encountered within the venture’s journey.
In the MOD’s newest replace, it was disclosed that “compared to financial year 21/22-Q4, the project’s end-date at 22/23-Q4 increased from 2028-07-07 to 2031-09-30.” The major motive for this extension is “further analysis on the programme schedule” and amendments made in the course of the Ministry of Defence’s Annual Budget Cycle 2022.
UK’s ‘New Medium Helicopter Programme’ detailed
Simultaneously, the Whole Life Cost, in comparison with the earlier monetary yr, has seen a considerable uptick from £1,172 million to £1,329 million. The MOD cited this improve was primarily “due to the programme receiving an uplift to safeguard the capabilities that the New Medium Helicopter programme plans to deliver.”
The Infrastructure and Projects Authority’s Delivery Confidence Assessment score for the programme, nonetheless, stays at Amber. This score is primarily linked to “the delay in securing the Outline Business Case approval.”
