AceHawk Aerospace arose from MinDP’s ‘call to arms’ Letter to Industry 23rd March 2021[1] and has used CAP410 as its ‘raison d’etre’. AceHawk Aerospace is a 100% UK-owned company with no overseas shareholders or joint ventures with ‘aggressor nations’. Using robust and certified COTS solutions from the outset, credible and battle-proven designs, which come with their own ‘playbook’ of role equipment approvals, ensures a LOW PROGRAM RISK. We genuinely believe that choosing another route would jeopardise the capability, timeline, value-for-money, sustainability and social requirements of the NMH program (we’ve many hours flying versions of the ‘competition’!);
The UK can afford the ‘Black Hawk’ through the ML-70™ route.
The MoD is considering the procurement of a New Medium Helicopter (NMH) package to replace existing rotorcraft systems for Army and Strategic Commands. The NMH is intended as a 15 to 20-year ‘stop-gap’ measure until future rotary ‘Next Generation’ solutions are available[2].
The combat-proven LM/Sikorsky UH-60 ‘Black Hawk’ helicopter is the accepted aircraft of choice for multi-mission operations with over 15-million flight hours (2-million hours in combat); UH-60M is their latest version.
Numerous allies have ordered or already received the UH-60M to replace their current fleet of unreliable joint-european helicopters[3][4][5][6]; some even before the aircraft has been declared ‘operational’.
Whilst the ‘Black Hawk’ is the favoured choice; it comes with a premium price (it’s the only multi-mission design specifically built for survivability in the battlefield), a lengthy waiting list due to demand and with little UK ‘value’ (LM’s need to amortise their Polish facility)
We have spent the last year stress-testing the ML-70™ project to determine deliverability. Each and every door we have knocked on has been opened wide and the project has received a very warm welcome from all quarters (except the opposition!), here and in Europe.
It has become obvious that there is a keen appetite for change; to seek the ‘low risk’ and sustainable option that delivers proven and un-matched capability on time and to budget – as opposed to continuing down the traditional path that, in effect, does very little to secure and diversify the UK Defence Network or provide value-for-money.
In each case we have demonstrated a clear pathway to UK Service for a design that has achieved over 15-million flight hours (2-million combat flight hours) and is still being developed for future roles (Jolly Green 2) with support to 2070.
If we disregard all of the NMH criteria then the proposed ‘military’ version of an OEM’s O&G machine is seen as the accepted ‘political’ choice. We have been working hard to change that view by exceeding the requirements and answering the Government’s call to industry with a world-beating aircraft worthy of our Armed Forces and produced in Teesside, the leading UK Net-Zero research and innovation hub.
[1] https://www.techuk.org/resource/defence-and-security-industrial-strategy-publication-letter.html
[2] UK Defence Command Paper 23 March 2021 to replace 4 helicopter types. Expected 38-44 airframe total requirement.
[3] https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/belgium-to-scale-back-nh90-tth-ops-citing-industrial-cost-and-manning-problems
[4] https://www.australiandefence.com.au/defence/joint/why-has-defence-grounded-its-mrh-90s
[5] https://www.flightglobal.com/helicopters/norway-threatens-cancellation-of-nh90-helicopter-contract-over-upgrade-delays/147436.article
[6] https://romeosquared.eu/2018/02/19/helicopter-scandals-for-everyone-blackhawk-to-the-rescue/#:~:text=Recently%20it%20made%20headlines%20that,horror%20story%20of%20bad%20news.