Bradley Perrett covered China, Japan, South Korea and Australia. He is a Mandarin-speaking Australian.
Before joining Aviation Week in 2006 he was a macroeconomics, politics and aerospace journalist with Reuters. Perrett holds a bachelor’s degree in law from Macquarie University, Sydney. He left Aviation Week in 2020.
Many times bitten, and now at least once shy, Australia—after a long run of foul-ups in naval equipment acquisitions—is playing it safe with its choice of combat helicopters for the Royal Australian Navy. Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin will supply the navy with 24 MH-60R Seahawks after winning a competition that may boost the manufacturers' chances in Malaysia and South Korea. Australia's order will be the MH-60R's first export contract.
So how efficient will the Comac C919 be? A common answer from executives involved in the program: probably about as efficient as the Airbus A320NEO. Efficiency is not the same as competitiveness, however. How well the Chinese 158-seat airliner is received in the market will depend on how quickly Comac can build a reputation for reliability and after-sales support. And the big swing factor will certainly be the price that the company charges for the aircraft.
BEIJING — Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin will supply Australia with 24 MH-60R Seahawk naval helicopters after winning a competition that may boost their chances in Malaysia and South Korea. Citing the MH-60R’s adoption by the U.S. Navy, higher value for money and lower risk, Australia has rejected the NH Industries NFH, which offered great commonality with the MRH90 battlefield transport helicopters being delivered to the Australian army.
