Flight International - 5 June 2018

THIS WEEK

10 | Flight International | 5-11 June 2018 flightglobal.com

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S

earch teams have ended a re-
newed hunt for Malaysia Air-
lines flight MH370 without hav-
ing located the crash site of the
missing Boeing 777-200ER.
Undersea specialist Ocean In-
finity admits the failure to find the
aircraft is “extremely disappoint-
ing”, but states that it hopes to be
involved in any future effort to
trace the jet.
Flight MH370 disappeared en
route from Kuala Lumpur to Bei-
jing in March 2014 and four years
of analysis and extensive under-
water surveys in the southern In-
dian Ocean have not revealed the
main wreckage site. It was carry-
ing 239 passengers and crew.

Search and rescue rotorcraft could remain operational beyond 2040

Canadian Forces

C

anada has announced its in-
tention to proceed with a
Leonardo Helicopters-led mod-
ernisation of its AgustaWestland
AW101 Cormorant search and
rescue rotorcraft, and to poten-
tially increase its fleet size from
14 to 21 examples.
“Leonardo, together with Team
Cormorant, looks forward to con-
tinuing working with the govern-
ment of Canada to conclude the
options analysis and finalise the
requirements for the CH-
CMLU [Cormorant Mid-Life Up-
grade] and fleet augmentation,
simulation and training pro-
gramme,” the European airframer
says. Its industrial partners on the
activity include GE Canada, IMP
Aerospace and Defence and
Rockwell Collins Canada.
To potentially enable Ottawa’s
AW101s to remain in operational
use until “2040 and beyond”, the
upgrade programme would tack-
le obsolescence and cost of own-
ership issues, Leonardo says.
Canada’s current aircraft would

receive new avionics equipment,

electro-optical/infrared sensors

and Leonardo’s Osprey active

electronically scanned array

radar, using a configuration com-

parable to that selected by Nor-

way for its search and rescue re-

quirements.

A proposal to add up to seven

additional Cormorants could be

achieved by producing new air-

craft, or potentially adapting sur-

plus aircraft acquired via the

USA following the cancellation

of its VH-71 presidential helicop-

ter programme.

Canada has operated the

AW101 as its primary rotary-

wing search and rescue capabili-

ty since 2002, and Leonardo says

it has provided “outstanding cov-

erage and capability”.

Separately, Leonardo has

begun discussions with Italy re-

garding the possible acquisition

of its AW169 and AW609 models.

Rome needs to replace an age-

ing fleet of Bell and Agusta-Bell

types – including 205/206s and

212/412s – operated by the mili-

tary and governmental bodies,

such as the coastguard.

Roberto Garavaglia, senior

vice-president of competitive

analysis and strategy, says it is

proposing the 4.8t AW169 medi-

um-twin for the nascent require-

ment. Talks are at a “preliminary”

stage and about “exploring op-

tions”, he says, “but it is an op-

portunity”.

Leonardo also sees a possible

role for the AW609 tiltrotor in the

Italian inventory as a long-range

search and rescue or maritime

patrol asset.

“It is a matter of finding the

proper role,” Garavaglia told

SMi’s Helicopter Technology

Central and Eastern Europe con-

ference in Prague. ■

DEVELOPMENT CRAIG HOYLE LONDON & DOMINIC PERRY PRAGUE

Ottawa advances Cormorant upgrade

Modernised avionics and new sensors are among improvements that may also see fleet size increased by seven to 21

“Part of our motivation for re-

newing the search was to try to

provide some answers to those af-

fected,” says Ocean Infinity chief

executive Oliver Plunkett. “It is

therefore with a heavy heart that

we end our current search with-

out having achieved that aim.”

Conducted over three months,

the latest search activity covered

more than 112,000km² which, says

the company, is “far in excess” of

the initial 25,000km² planned, and

almost the size of that covered in

the previous two-and-a-half years.

“We sincerely hope that we

will be able to again offer our ser-

vices in the search for MH370 in

future,” Plunkett says. ■

INVESTIGATION DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON

Latest search for MH

ends in disappointment

TRIBUTE

Company honours Serge Dassault

France’s family-owned aerospace champion has paid tribute to its

late chairman Serge Dassault, following his death at the age of 93.

Saluting the former chief executive of business aviation and fighter

manufacturer Dassault Aviation’s “passion for aeronautics, human

vision of entrepreneurship and the relentless support he provid-

ed”, it says “he led the company to rise to the challenges of the

21st century”. “Serge Dassault devoted his life to aeronautics and

the French industry,” says chief executive Éric Trappier.

See Obituary P

Dassault Aviation