Singapore Airshow 2020: Apaches to enter two new territories, Bangladesh likely one of them Boeing’s most active rotary-winged marketing campaigns at the moment centre on the AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopter, with new customers about to join the fraternity of users.
In addition, Thailand will imminently become an AH-6i customer.
Terry Jamison, Boeing’s senior manager for vertical lift global sales and marketing, revealed at Singapore Airshow 2020: ‘We have two new customers that are about to come on line ... [for] the Apache. In the interests of their desire, we can’t talk about them yet but soon they’ll be public record…One has actually signed their LoA [letter of acceptance], the other is about to sign the LoA.’
Shephard surmises that one customer for new-build AH-64E models is Egypt, as its request is already on public record. Speaking in Singapore, Jamison revealed that the other new Apache customer ‘is in this region of the world’.
It remains unclear whether Bangladesh could be this other new customer. Dhaka is currently seeking eight to ten Western-built attack helicopters via an international tender, and Jamison confirmed that the Apache is on offer.
Questioned further by Shephard, Jamison said: ‘The only thing I can say on Bangladesh is that it is engaged with the US government right now, and they’ve expressed interest in the AH-64. We’re working with the US government to respond to all their questions and their requests for information.’
The Bangladesh campaign 'proves the cost efficiencies we have with the Apache', he added.
The US Army is ordering 791 AH-64Es, with many other export sales, and Jamison insisted that this makes the Apache competitively priced. Today there are about 1,250 of the aircraft in service worldwide.
Converting an existing AH-64D to an AH-64E allows approximately 700 parts to be harvested (one example being the landing gear), thereby saving costs. With the Delta model fully exiting the US Army fleet within the next three years, this will consequently make it more expensive for other customers to maintain their older fleets.
These will include Japan and Singapore within the Asian region, and Jamison said that Boeing is talking to all Delta users worldwide about how to upgrade.
He explained that new Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers for the AH-64E get exactly the same price as the US Army, as long as they opt for an identical configuration and choose not to customise their purchase.
Asked if the Apache is relatively expensive compared to its peers, Jamison claimed that, since he has been in the job, the aircraft has won three separate campaigns simply based on its price point. ‘There’s a narrative out there that quite frankly is not true. It’s just false.’
In terms of the AH-6i Little Bird, Jamison said that Thailand has signed an LoA for the helicopter, adding: 'There are two other customers that we’re working very actively that are not public record yet.’
Thailand expressed interest in the AH-6i a couple of years ago, but then the interest somewhat faltered. However, Boeing said that programme has been ‘re-energised in the last six months', with Bangkok seeking eight aircraft.
Thailand decided to buy the AH-6i via FMS, and it has already signed an LoA. Boeing has not received a contract from the US government yet, but this will occur in due course.
The AH-6i is currently operated by the US special operations community, and Saudi Arabia also ordered 24 units.
source:
#SingaporeAirshow2020 #theAH-64EApache
0 Comments