A new breed of reconnaissance helicopters designed with foreign customers in mind could result in more jobs for Boeing Co.'s Mesa manufacturing site.
The aerospace giant, which employs about 4,500 workers at its plant next to Falcon Field, is showcasing its AH-6i helicopter at the Dubai Airshow today through Thursday.
The aircraft, which has yet to nab a customer, is part of Boeing's AH-6 line of light-attack and reconnaissance helicopters. The copters are smaller than, but contain many of the same cockpit technologies as, the Apache Longbow, the heavy-attack helicopter the firm has built for the U.S. Army for nearly 30 years.
"Essentially it is a low-cost alternative for a light-attack (helicopter)," said Tommy Filler, director of U.S. Army Apache programs.
Widespread adoption of the AH-6i could better diversify the revenue stream for Boeing's Mesa campus, which is heavily dependent on the Apache helicopter. While the U.S. Defense Department is expected to move forward with procuring new Apaches next year, any reduction in program funding could spell job cuts at the site.
Boeing announced plans for the AH-6i in October 2008, around the time the Defense Department pulled the plug on competitor Bell Helicopter's contract to replace the Army's fleet of Kiowa Warrior helicopters because of major budget overruns and schedule delays.
The Army decided to upgrade the aging Kiowa Warriors but still could move forward with the procurement of a replacement attack-reconnaissance helicopter in the future.
Boeing officials say a variation of the AH-6i could be the replacement.
Meanwhile, the company's Mesa operation is promoting the aircraft, which took its first flight in September, to international customers.
The company hopes to spark interest in the AH-6i at this week's air show in Dubai, said Mike Burke, director of Army rotorcraft business development for Boeing.
Steady orders could ultimately result in as many as 200 new jobs in Mesa, he said.
The Mesa operation currently is doing work on Apache Block III, the next phase of the Army's Apache program.
Unlike other major aircraft and vehicle programs that incurred cuts under President Obama's fiscal 2010 budget, funding for Apache is stable and expected to remain that way.
"I think this is one of the . . . higher-priority programs within the DOD," said Paul Nisbet, a defense and aerospace analyst.
Nisbet, president of JSA Research Inc. in Sarasota, Fla., said attempts to replace older aircraft have hit budget and schedule problems. That, combined with Boeing's consistent delivery track record with the Apache, has helped solidify the program as one of the military's mainstays.
Boeing received a $620 million contract in 2006 to perform system development and testing for Block III Apaches.
The company has produced five prototypes. The Army is performing "limited user testing" on three of them this month in Yuma.
The tests will help the Defense Department determine whether to move on to theinitial production phase. It's expected to decide by April, said John Schibler, Boeing's chief Apache engineer.
Boeing would begin production on the new Apaches in June if the Defense Department moves forward on the program, he said.
Army representatives in charge of the Apache program could not be reached for comment.
Key Block III upgrades include a new mission computer processor, a new electrical power system and the ability to navigate an unmanned aerial vehicle.
The software that powers the Apache's cockpit computers is designed around an "open-systems architecture" that makes it easier to make future hardware upgrades without having to retest all of the aircraft's systems.
Boeing applied that same architecture to the AH-6i.
"One of the most difficult parts of developing an attack and reconnaissance helicopter is integrating all of the sensors and integrating all of the weapons into a complete package," Burke said. "The Block III Apache already has that. Eighty-three percent of the software in the mission computer of the AH-6 is a direct lift from the Apache Block III."
Boeing, like other U.S. defense contractors, sees major opportunities in foreign markets in the years ahead. Foreign business could cushion cuts to domestic weapons programs and keep production lines active.
"This is one of the highest-tech industries that exists in this country," Chris Raymond, vice president of business development for Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems unit, told analysts at a defense-industry forum Tuesday in New York
. "It is an industry base to be concerned about and protected to some degree."
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