Best known for their rivalry in the commercial aircraft segment, Boeing and Airbus joined forces to compete in the German Armed Forces STH competition.
The two aerospace giants signed an agreement this week to offer the H-47 Chinook heavy helicopter as a replacement for the aging Sikorsky CH-53G currently in operation in Germany.
Boeing’s partner is actually Airbus Helicopters, a division that brings together former manufacturers Aerospatiale, from France, and MBB, from Germany.
Under the arrangement, Airbus will provide technical support of the helicopters should they be selected by the German government, coordinating the work of several other companies involved in the project such as AERO-Bildung GmbH, CAE GmbH, ESG Elektroniksystem- und Logistik-GmbH, Lufthansa Technik AG, Honeywell Aerospace and Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd. & Co. KG
“We are pleased that Airbus Helicopters has joined our team of strategic partners on the H-47 Chinook program for Germany, and together we will provide the strongest offering to the Bundeswehr,” said Mark Cherry, Boeing vice president and general manager, Vertical Lift programs.
“Building on decades of experience as a partner of the Bundeswehr, Airbus Helicopters is excited to join Boeing’s Chinook Germany industry team,” said Wolfgang Schoder, general manager of Airbus Helicopters in Germany.
The SHT competition (Schwerer Transporthubschrauber or Heavy transport helicopter in German) was launched in June 2019 with the expectation of acquiring 44 to 60 aircraft.
In addition to Boeing, Sikorsky also participates in the competition with the CH-53K, an updated variant of the King Stallion helicopter.
