swered: would it be optimal to procure
22 AW101 in the utility/transport va-
riant, without acquiring more AW101
in a maritime configuration, and also
when it comes to embarked assets?
A question should also be asked
whether in the medium platform area,
parallel use of two similar aircraft -
S70i and AW149 - creates benefits
that exceed the cost associated with
such a solution. A broader question
may be asked: what about non-milita-
ry state aviation assets? The Border
Guard and Police will also need new
aircraft, replacing the PZL Kania, and
W-3 Sokół respectively.
Considering the threats profile, inclu-
ding peacetime threats (such as na-
tural disasters), hybrid threats (on the
border, and within the whole ter-
ritory), or even
a threat of a full-scale conventional
war breaking out, the flexibility offered
by rotary-wing assets is priceless. Ho-
wever, one should still remember that
maximum unification of the fleet is the
only rational way to go, and a similar
approach is adopted by other states.
The UK decided to replace four heli-
copter types, with a single platform.
France wants one helicopter - the
H160 - to replace 5 legacy types (also
in the National Gendarmerie), while
the US Army operates 5 helicopter ty-
pes in total, including the niche
AH/MH-6 Little Birds of
the SOF compo-
nent.
AVIATION
