Fed: UK official say big chance for aircraft industry

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Fed: UK official say big chance for aircraft industry

CANBERRA, Feb 17 AAP - The Australian aviation industry had an unprecedented opportunityto take part in a new international aircraft project, a British defence official saidtoday.

Alan Garwood, head of defence export services for the UK Ministry of Defence, saidBritish industry saw major opportunities in the Australian defence market despite a dominanceby American firms.

Mr Garwood, in Australia for the Avalon Air Show and for meetings with defence chiefs,said Australia had the chance to join the Airbus A400M program for a next generationlarge transport aircraft equivalent to the Boeing C-17 Globemaster.

"It is going to be the next generation's newest sexiest airlifter," he said in a media briefing.

"We think it is exactly what Australia needs. Airbus is saying they have room for oneindustrial partner, one national partner in the core program as they kick off.

"Right now there is a real window if Australia chose to go A400M. If Australia actuallymoved quickly decided A400M is what it wants, you could grab a whole load of work forAustralia industry.

"Australia has a window which is probably open for just the next year. Then you couldbe a major industrial partner on a global aircraft program which will undoubtedly selllots of aircraft."

Mr Garwood said UK industry had triumphed against US competition in two major Australianprocurement programs - the Hawk lead-in fighter and the AMRAAM missile for the RAAF'sF/A-18 Hornets.

The top UK priority in the Australian market was the project to replace the Army BlackHawk and navy Sea Hawk and Sea King helicopters, he said.

"We have an absolutely outstanding product, the Agusta-Westland EH-101," he said.

"The decision Australia has to make is whether it will rationalise the quite largenumbers of different types of helicopter and replace them with one type.

"We hope there will be an open competition. We understand there would need to be aprogram to involve Australian industry."

Mr Garwood said UK industry would also be proposing the new Type-45 destroyer for theAustralian navy's project for three new air defence destroyers.

AAP mb/sb/cjh/ts

KEYWORD: GARWOOD