By Lu Haoting (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-07-13 10:00
Changhe Aircraft Industries Corp, a subsidiary of China Aviation Industry Corp II (AVIC II), is likely to co-develop a light helicopter with Sikorsky Aircraft Corp, a top company executive said yesterday.
"Changhe and Sikorsky have established a strategic partnership in civilian helicopter production. Besides subcontracting, we plan to become risk-sharing partners and jointly develop a new 1-ton class helicopter,"
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Wang made the remarks yesterday on the sidelines of the signing ceremony of a subcontracting agreement with Sikorsky.
The company, based in East China's Jiangxi Province, will supply components of the airframe of Sikorsky's S-76C++ medium helicopter and part of the final assembly of the helicopter airframe.
The agreement will be implemented in two phases. In the first phase, Changhe will carry out sub-assembly and partial final assembly activities with procured kits and components. In the second phase, starting from 2009, the cooperation will expand to include component manufacturing.
The subcontract volume is valued at about $50-60 million every year, Wang said, adding that Changhe can deliver the products for 30 S-76C++ helicopters annually.
"With the new agreement, we demonstrate our confidence in AVIC II and our commitment to China as a focus of our strategic partnership and a cornerstone of our future regional development,"
"AVIC II and Changhe are now part of Sikorsky's three largest and most important commercial helicopter programs," Bond said.
Changhe and Connecticut-
Schweizer Aircraft, a unit of Sikorsky, last October selected Changhe to supply airframe components and assemblies for the Schweizer 300CBi helicopter.
The contract is the first result of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between AVIC II and Sikorsky in June last year for collaboration in development and production of civilian helicopters.
