With naval expansion happening across the world, maritime helicopter operators can cross the gamut of options from the most ‘built-for-purpose’ helicopters to breathing new life into old machines.
The military helicopter market is currently in ebb rather than flow. The relative lack of completely new designs has fed an upgrade market for many military helicopter types, although some smaller fleet operators in Asia-Pacific have traded in their older 1960s-70s analogue rotorcraft for newer and more expensive yet more capable ‘glass cockpit’ equipped machines.
A survey published in April 2017 by Indian market reseach company Absolute Reports, entitled The Global Military Rotorcraft Market 2017-2027, stated that “the global military rotorcraft market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.14 percent over the forecast period driven by the need to replace aging fleets and enhance capabilities pertaining to disaster relief operations.”
Governments across the world are increasingly favouring the procurement of multi-mission helicopters, although naval helicopters tend to be designed for anti-submarine or anti-ship roles, or both.
There is a necessity now with respect to military maritime rotorcraft that they be part of a ship’s system of systems, rather than just a lone platform carrying out tasks semi-independently of the naval platform. As is the trend with most military rotorcraft, there is no longer any perceived value in an air asset that is only specialised in one activity. Multi-mission rotorcraft need to be adaptable to deliver everything from more covert electronic intelligence (ELINT) through direct kinetic action such as anti-submarine (ASW) and anti-surface warfare (ASuW).
Absolute Reports, in its document, states that “the multi-mission and maritime helicopter segment of the overall market] will account for 43.7 percent of the total global rotorcraft market over the forecast period, followed by attack, transport, and training helicopters.”
Denne historien er fra March 2018-utgaven av Asian Military Review.
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Denne historien er fra March 2018-utgaven av Asian Military Review.
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SMART MUNITIONS INCREASE MARKET SHARE
Top attack munitions are now widely developed for different artillery calibers with varied ranges.
NEXT GEN NVGS - A CLEAR IMPROVEMENT
Fused and enhanced night-vision technology will make the difference to soldiers fighting at night.
MILITARY ROTORCRAFT DEVELOPMENT - NO MORE ‘STOVEPIPES'
New rotorcraft are going to come with new abilities founded on open systems that provide easier upgrade paths and cheaper through life costs.
INDO PACIFIC UAV DIRECTORY 2021
The development of unmanned aerial vehicles is growing apace, especially in China. New longer range ISR platforms are also on the procurement list of several nations.
TIME TO RESET TRILATERAL RELATIONS
United States President Joe Biden has made it a top priority of his Administration to repair and re-energize global alliances during its first year in power. This is a necessary strategic and political calculus made in light of growing global security, public health, and environmental challenges that will require cooperation and multilateral contributions. President Trump’s ‘America first’ policy did much to undermine confidence in such relationships over his time in office.
SOCPAC KEEN TO SHARE JOINT DOCTRINE AND TRAINING
The return of Great Power competition means that US SOCPAC is more than ever seeking joint training opportunities with regional special forces.
MARINE ENGINE POWER - NOT JUST ABOUT KNOTS
Navies not only want more engine power, there are also coming under increasing pressure to become environmentally conscious.
AMPHIBIOUS FORCES
New amphibious concepts are re-shaping marine forces to break the A2AD defensive line.
SPACE V AIRBORNE ISR OR MIX AND MATCH
Owning satellite based ISR for military use is still an exclusive ‘club’, but airborne ISR still provides that most countries need.
SHIPBUILDING - A NUMBERS GAME
While experience grows among Indo-Pacific naval designers, order numbers remain crucial to keeping costs down and yards in business.