STRATFORD, Conn., Sept. 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin
(NYSE: LMT) today announced the Sikorsky HH-60W Combat Rescue
Helicopter (CRH) program achieved a Milestone C decision from
the U.S. Air Force, which moves the program into low rate initial
production. The Combat Rescue Helicopter will perform critical
combat search and rescue and personnel recovery operations for all
U.S. military services. View the latest CRH video.
CRH Helicopter Proves Ready for Sacred
Mission
The four instrumented test aircraft at the Sikorsky Development
Flight Center in West Palm Beach,
Florida, demonstrated their production readiness during
rigorous U.S. Air Force (USAF) performance and flight load survey
testing. The joint Sikorsky and USAF flight test team has executed
over 70 hours of envelope expansion flights, which provided USAF
the data necessary to execute a Milestone C decision. This decision
allows Sikorsky to begin production of the aircraft, which is based
on the venerable BLACK HAWK helicopter.
"This affirmative Milestone C decision validates the
modifications to Sikorsky's most successful BLACK HAWK helicopter,
making it capable of saving downed airmen anytime, anywhere around
the world," said Greg Hames,
Sikorsky program director. "This establishes the Combat Rescue
Helicopter as a production program."
Prepared for Production
There are five CRH aircraft in various stages of production at
Sikorsky's Stratford facility.
Sikorsky employees and our nationwide supply chain are ready to
begin production and support delivering this all new aircraft to
the warfighter.
The USAF program of record calls for 113 helicopters to replace
its predecessor, the Sikorsky HH-60G PAVE HAWKs.
"We have just successfully gained approval to launch the
production of a helicopter that will save the lives of our
warfighters and our allies all over the world. This decision begins
the transition to this more capable and reliable helicopter to
fulfill the Air Force's mission to leave no one behind. I
could not be more proud of our government-contractor team for
making this happen," said Col. Dale R.
White, Program Executive Officer, Intelligence,
Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Special Operations Forces,
USAF.
The CRH is significantly more capable and reliable than the
HH-60G PAVE HAWK. The aircraft hosts a new fuel system that nearly
doubles the capacity of the internal tank on a UH-60M BLACK HAWK,
giving the USAF crew extended range and more capability to rescue
those injured in the battle space. The CRH
specification drives more capable defensive systems and
enhances the vulnerability reductions, hover performance,
electrical capacity, avionics, cooling, weapons, cyber-security,
environmental, and net-centric capabilities beyond the current
HH-60G.
For additional information, visit our website:
www.lockheedmartin.com/crh.
About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a
global security and aerospace company that employs approximately
105,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the
research, design, development, manufacture, integration and
sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and
services.
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SOURCE Lockheed Martin