January9, 2007:
The Philippines is looking to buy six helicopter gunships, but doesn't
want to spend more than about six million dollars for each one. The rules out
the most powerful gunship available, the AH-64, which goes for about $60
million brand new, and really isn't available on the second-hand market.
However, there are a lot of decent, although pre-owned, helicopter gunships out
there, in the $6 million price range. Russia offered Mi-24s, France has offered
one of the armed Eurocopter models, while Italy offered a similar to the AH-1
Cobra (which the U.S. is offering). The Italian firm has been building license
versions of the UH-1 and AH-1 for decades. China is offering a gunship based on
Eurocopter designs.
The
AH-1 has an edge in this competition, as the Filipinos have been using UH-1s
(the AH-1 is a modified version of the UH-1), and the AH-1s offered were
previously used by the U.S. Marine Corps, with great success.
The
Philippines wants the gunships for operations against Communist and Moslem
rebels, who frequently hide out in jungles and urban areas. A helicopter
gunship is better for this sort of thing, than fixed wing aircraft. What the
Filipinos will get is a six ton helicopter that can carry about half a ton of
weapons (usually a 20mm automatic cannon, with about 700 rounds of ammo, plus
the ability to fire unguided rockets, or missiles like TOW or Hellfire).
But
it does all come down to how much helicopter you can get for your money. If any
of the competitors wants this contract badly enough, they can sweeten their
offer sufficiently to get it. So far, the Philippines has relied on sixteen
Bell 520, which are about half the size, and capacity, of the AH-1.