GA Telesis forms GA Telesis Rotorcraft and acquires seven Bell helicopters

GA Telesis, LLC (GAT) announced the formation of GA Telesis Rotorcraft (GATR) on Wednesday to provide lease and finance solutions in the helicopter sector. GATR has already closed its first helicopter transaction, a portfolio of Bell helicopters.

GAT completed the acquisition of seven Bell 206L4 helicopters, four of which are subject to multi-year leases.  Regarding the other three helicopters, one is available for lease or sale. A second helicopter will be refurbished and made available for lease or sale later this year.  The final helicopter will be parted out and sold as used serviceable material.

UTC explores spinoff for Sikorsky Aircraft business

United Technologies Corp. (UTC) announced Wednesday that its Board of Directors has authorized a review of strategic alternatives for the corporation's Sikorsky Aircraft business, including a potential tax-free spinoff.

"We are exploring strategic options for Sikorsky to determine the best way to enhance its long-term success and create improved long-term value for UTC's customers and shareholders," said UTC President & Chief Executive Officer Gregory Hayes. 

Sikorsky is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of military and commercial helicopter platforms.

"Looking to the future, we are evaluating whether Sikorsky's unique business as a rotorcraft OEM with a predominately military customer base is best positioned as a stand-alone company, and whether a separation would allow United Technologies to better focus on providing high-technology systems and services to the aerospace and building industries,” Hayes said.

UTC expects to conclude its strategic review before the end of the year. However, no specific timetable has been set, and there can be no assurance that a spinoff or any other transaction will take place. Likewise, no decision has been made on the timing or terms of any such transaction if one were to occur.

United Technologies is based in Hartford, Conn.

Military helicopter market worth $33 billion in 2023

Repeated budget cuts and frozen orders have blurred promises of market recovery in the global military market, especially across Western regions. The adoption of remotely piloted aircraft systems seems to make manned helicopters further irrelevant. Nevertheless, unrivalled vertical take-off and landing capabilities as well as strong mission efficiency rates will sustain interest in military rotorcraft.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Global Military Helicopters Market Assessment, finds that the market earned revenues of $25.43 billion in 2013 and estimates this to reach $33.37 billion in 2023. New platform procurements will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 2.8 percent globally.

"Territorial disputes in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Southeast Asia and the Middle East are underlining the importance of upgraded attack and naval capabilities, thereby boosting military helicopter sales," said Frost & Sullivan Aerospace & Defense Industry Analyst Alix Leboulanger. "While budget cuts and stretched fleets will impact the platform segment in the short and medium terms, the need to bridge crucial capability gaps will revive market growth in the long term."

As armed forces renew legacy helicopters, the new generation of platforms will face certain challenges:

• Meeting budget requirements will eventually imply less procurement.
• Conducting assignments ranging from asymmetric warfare to naval operations with significantly low financial support will affect performance.
• The fast-changing geopolitical environment will hold back export opportunities.

To conduct more missions at a lesser cost, armed forces are embracing multi-role platforms. However, the demand for multi-role platforms capable of fulfilling each mission as efficiently as mission-specific helicopters increases costs.

Manufacturers must highlight benefits such as the rationalization of existing logistics and maintenance repair operations supply-chains, reduction in training costs, and interoperability to move forward the uptake of expensive multi-role platforms. Consequently, the use of smarter mission systems and open systems architecture for joint missions with other aircraft types, in particular remotely piloted aircraft systems, will increase.

"The rise of optionally piloted helicopters is a future trend that needs to be closely monitored as it will actually empower multi-role helicopters and their mission spectrum," observed Leboulanger. "It also has the potential to bridge the gap in manned and unmanned aircraft integration, complementing – not replacing – helicopter surveillance, reconnaissance, and utility roles in the global military helicopter space."