Sale Could Involve 145 Aircraft

Russian aircraft maker Kamov and Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) are to provide the Turkish army with 145 of their Ka-50-2 combat helicopters over the next six years. Kamov's chief designer told reporters in Moscow on Tuesday that his company "has practically initialed the contract with Turkey and we will finalize it by the end of 2003."

He did not say how much the contract was worth. Military analysts put the price of one Ka-50-2 at between $12 million and $15 million. IAI's proportion of the deal is believed to be around 40 to 45 percent. In what could be the latest slap in a simmering dispute between old allies, Turkey, a NATO member, chose Kamov over its US competitor, the Bell Helicopter division of Textron Inc.

"It did not suit Turkey that the Americans insisted on supplying fully completed helicopters without any Turkish role in building them," Mikheev said. "Under our deal Turkish companies will be involved in work on the cockpit."

The Ka-50-2 is the product of a joint effort by IAI's Lahav Division, a world leader in avionics modernization and the Kamov Company, the developer of advanced coaxial rotor technology. Kamov is responsible for the helicopter airframe, with its various subsystems, while IAI is responsible for the avionics and weapons delivery system.

IAI sources warn, however, that the Israeli-Russian concern had been on the verge of signing deals with Turkey in the past, only for the agreement to fall through at the last minute.

Israeli sources are suspicious that Turkey is using the announcement of a deal with IAI-Kamov, in order to pressure the American bidders to agree to their terms. Turkish sources say that it is possible that the US Congress will bow to pressure from the American concerns involved in the deal, and order the Pentagon to allow Turks access to the technology needed to set up construction sites on Turkish soil.

Special thanks to Correspondent Dave Bender in Jerusalem.

FMI: www.iai.co.il