Across Multiple Domains - US Military Rotorcraft Programs
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US Military Rotorcraft Programs:
Across Multiple Domains
Vertiflite’s annual roundup — pending changes Vertical lift remains essential to multi-domain operations.
Here, an Army AH-64 Apache conducts deck landing
from the new Administration qualifications in the Arabian Gulf in support of maritime
security operations. (US Marine Corps)
By Frank Colucci
O
TH-73As assembled in Philadelphia with transmissions, blades
utgoing US President Donald Trump took his last ride and airframes made in Europe?
on a VH-3D on Jan. 20, having saved VH-92A Presidential
replacement helicopter production in Pennsylvania yet Rotary-wing aviation remains key to multi-domain operations
having lost the battleground state in pandemic polling. The (MDO), but where those operations will occur is guesswork. CV-
Biden-Harris administration will inaugurate the new Marine One 22s from Mildenhall in the UK forward-positioned to Rota, Spain,
early next year. How high other military vertical lift platforms and pressed on to Nigeria in October to insert and extract Navy
rise in Washington priorities depends on political, budget and SEALs who rescued an American from kidnappers. New Defense
diplomatic wildcards. Left alone, Black Hawk, Apache, Osprey and Secretary Lloyd Austin considers China the “pacing threat.” Could
King Stallion programs of record stretch through a Biden term. US Navy deployments in the South China Sea extend production
Future Vertical Lift (FVL) still ranks third in Army modernization of unmanned Fire Scouts and accelerate Seahawk service life
priorities. Regime change in Washington nevertheless raises extensions or FVL Maritime Strike? Will Marine Corps leadership
questions important to the rotorcraft industrial base. refocused on near-peer adversaries trim the King Stallion program
of record hiking its unit cost? Will more armed MD530Fs — like
March / April 2021
Given crushing lockdowns and an expensive climate agenda, will those for Afghanistan, Kenya and Lebanon — be needed to fight
touted Biden experts protect FVL and expensive Marine Corps the simmering global war on terror?
CH-53Ks? Will genteel diplomacy spur NATO defense spending
and convince Germany it can afford King Stallions or Chinooks? Future Vertical Lift
Will pressure to protect jobs return Army CH-47Fs to Philadelphia FVL objectives remain unchanged for now — aircraft with
for early Block II modernization? Does Biden’s pledge, formalized greater range, speed and survivability for multi-domain
by executive order, to “buy American products and support operations with avionics readily updated for changing threats.
American supply chains” impact Air Force MH-139As and Navy Four signature modernization efforts give the Army a Future
14Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA), Future Long Range
Reconnaissance Aircraft (FLRAA) and Future Unmanned Aircraft
Systems (FUAS), all ultimately sharing the Modular Open System
Approach (MOSA). Science and technology demonstrations
morph into production programs of record and spawn joint-
service spinoffs that may sustain the US rotary-wing industrial
base. Production numbers are to be determined, but analyses
from the Center for Strategic and International Studies concluded
the cost of 30 FARA plus 30–60 FLRAA rotorcraft per year to be
within historic aviation budgets.
The 14,000 lb (6.4 metric ton), 180+ kt (335+ km/h) FARA is a
reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition platform to
penetrate integrated air defenses and interoperate with networked
The Defiant X — the Sikorsky-Boeing team’s proposed Future
forces. Army Futures Command expects competitive prototypes
Long Range Assault Aircraft design — is based on their Joint
now in work to fly in late fiscal 2022 or early fiscal 2023 (i.e. by the Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator. (Sikorsky-Boeing)
end of calendar year 2022). Both the Bell Model 360 Invictus and
Sikorsky Model S-103 Raider X share the government-furnished prototypes is expected this year with contract award in 2022.
3,000-shp (2,240-kW) class General Electric T901 improved turbine Bell has already flown the Valor with thermoplastic tail surfaces.
engine (ITE), 20 mm cannon, integrated munitions launcher and The Sikorsky-Boeing team has shown images of a Defiant X with
MOSA avionics backbone. They are nevertheless very different the same planform, refined with an F-35-like nose chine. Bell
fly-by-wire rotorcraft. The Bell Invictus is an articulated rotor has involved air assault soldiers and maintainers in the Valor
helicopter with tandem cockpits, fixed lifting wings, secondary design process.
power unit and ducted fan tailrotor. The wingless Sikorsky Raider
X with side-by-side crew draws speed and agility from stacked, The Army has no program of record to develop and field a new
coaxial rigid rotors and an integrated tail thruster. 5,000–6,000 shp (3,730–4,475 kW) engine to fit the 30,000-lb (13.6-t)-
class FLRAA. The current schedule dictates a modified version of
Bell started building the Invictus prototype at Amarillo, Texas, last a currently available engine for initial production aircraft.
October. Sikorsky is assembling the Raider X at West Palm Beach,
Florida, while it continues to collect data from the 80%-scale Airbus Lakota
S-97 Raider. By early 2021, the Sikorsky-funded S-97 had logged The US Army took delivery of the last of 463 UH-72A Lakotas in
93 flight hours plus 102 ground-run hours and 365 hours on a September 2020. The light utility helicopters (LUH) based on the
transmission system testbed. FARA competitive prototyping civil BK117C2 are now in service with National Guard and active-
plans call for a government flight-test evaluation no later than duty units around the United States and its territories, configured
the fall of 2023 for a FARA low rate initial production (LRIP) for medical evacuation, law enforcement surveillance, test range
decision around 2028 and initial operational capability (IOC) support and VIP transport missions. The UH-72A is also the
by 2030. The Army Program Executive Office (PEO) Aviation has training helicopter at Fort Rucker, Alabama, and serves at training
begun formulating a FARA acquisition strategy with milestones. centers in Louisiana and California.
Unit cost is pegged around $30M and cost-per-flight-hour around
$4,200. FARA will be the replacement aircraft for the divested OH- The Airbus facility in Columbus, Mississippi, is now assembling
58D aircraft within air cavalry squadrons; the cancelled Kiowa UH-72B (BK117D2) Lakotas with safer, quieter Fenestron ducted
Warrior cockpit and sensor upgrade was planned for 368 aircraft. tailrotors and more powerful Safran Arriel 2E engines with full
authority digital electronic control. The current contract calls for
FLRAA is the FVL high-speed, long-range squad carrier modeled 17 UH-72Bs delivered by July 2022 to displace UH-72As in National
by the Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstration (JMR TD) Guard units, which will then rotate to complete the Fort Rucker
program. The Bell Model V-280 Valor is an advanced tiltrotor fleet of 224 training helicopters. Counting attrition, the UH-72A/B
that gains speed and range advantage in fixed-wing flight. It fleet will total 478 aircraft; the procurement objective was 345
continues impressive flight demonstrations with the original aircraft at the time of the original LUH award in 2006.
drive and rotor components; in late 2020, the Valor demonstrated
maneuvering with external sling loads. Autonomous maneuvers PEO Aviation has no firm recapitalization schedule for the
were performed with safety pilots aboard. By early 2021, the Lakota fleet, but it is studying alternate engines, fuel system
tiltrotor demonstrator had accumulated more than 200 hours in improvements and other changes to remedy obsolescence and
over 150 individual test flights and exceeded 300 kt (555 km/h). cut sustainment costs. Research into recapitalization, service life
extension or replacement programs is expected around fiscal
Like the Raider and Raider X, the Sikorsky-Boeing SB>1 Defiant 2027. Without a service life extension program, the UH-72 runs
is a compound helicopter with an integrated tail propulsor. The out of economic life around fiscal 2032.
March / April 2021
Sikorsky-Boeing team reported 26 Defiant flight hours in 31 flights,
and another 135 hours on the propulsion systems test bed. The Bell H-1 Yankee/Zulu
demonstrator achieved 211 kt (390 km/h) flying straight and level The US Marine Corps retired the two-bladed AH-1W attack
and 232 kt (430 km/h) while descending; it has also flown nap-of- helicopter in October 2020 and now fills light attack helicopter
the-earth amid obstacles. squadrons exclusively with the four-bladed AH-1Z Viper and UH-
1Y Venom, sharing common engines, dynamics, structures and
In propulsion, structures and systems, neither the Valor nor the avionics. All 160 UH-1Y utility helicopters in the Marine Corps
Defiant is a true FLRAA prototype. A request for competitive program of record have been delivered. By January 2021, the Marines
15The US Marine Corps has standardized light attack helicopter The CMV-22B Osprey opens new possibilities in sea logistics.
squadrons on the AH-1Z and UH-1Y. Here, a Zulu Cobra lands Here, a tiltrotor from test squadron HX-21 lands on the
at a forward arming and refueling point in Arizona. (US amphibious transport dock ship USS New York. (US Navy)
Marine Corps)
had 160 of 189 Zulu Cobras in the program of record. Twenty-three Boeing Apache
AH-1Z deliveries are planned for 2021. Marine Corps Zulu Cobra As of January 2021, the US Army had a mix of 364 AH-64D Apache
production will continue into early 2022. Marine Corps plans aim Longbows and 374 recapitalized AH-64E Apache Guardians. The
for a common AH-1 Zulu Cobra configuration with distributed AH-64E with composite main rotor, split-torque transmission
aperture infrared countermeasures (DAIRCM), joint air-to-ground and more powerful avionics architecture is made better in the
missile (JAGM), Link 16 datalink and full motion video downlink. latest V6 production standard with modernized day sight, Link
16 datalink, JAGM capability and common avionics processor.
Foreign military sales (FMS) will sustain new H-1 production at The 1st Battalion, 229th Aviation Regiment,16th Combat Aviation
Amarillo for a little while. The Defense Department has awarded Brigade, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, received the
Bell an FMS contract for the manufacture and delivery of 12 Lot 16 first production AH-64E V6 last October.
AH-1Z aircraft with deliveries expected to begin in late 2021. The
Czech Republic ordered four AH-1Z and eight UH1Y helicopters Boeing Mesa delivered 71 Apaches to the US Army and FMS
with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2023. The Government of the customers in 2020. Production plans call for 64 AH-64Es in 2021
Philippines last year requested permission to buy six Zulu Cobras and Army plans now conclude in June 2027 with 700 AH-64E and
plus related equipment and the Naval Air Systems Command 90 AH-64Ds. PEO Aviation counts 15 partner nations actively flying
(NAVAIR) continues to provide potential customers with H-1 the AH-64 Apache and expects a 16th to receive their first helicopter
information through the FMS process. within the next four years. At least 12 countries have expressed
interest in new Apaches or upgrading their current aircraft to the
Bell Boeing Osprey latest configuration. In January 2021, Australia announced the
The Bell Boeing tiltrotor team delivered 17 Ospreys in 2020: three choice of the AH-64E to replace its Army’s Airbus Tigers, with initial
US Marine Corps MV-22Bs, eight Navy CMV-22Bs, one Air Force operational capability in 2026. The total buy will be 29 helicopters.
CV-22B and five MV-22Bs for the Japan Ground Self Defense Force
(JGSDF). The Navy CMV-22B for the carrier onboard delivery (COD) Beyond AH-64E V6 improvements, the Army continues to look
mission is the last version in the current program of record and for ways to enhance and modernize the heavy attack helicopter.
expected to achieve IOC late this year. COD plans call for 44 Navy Integration work continues on the General Electric T901-GE-900
tiltrotors to replace fixed-wing Greyhounds in east- and west-coast engine common to both the Apache and the Black Hawk. ITE fit
squadrons delivering people, parts and priority cargo to aircraft checks on both aircraft were done with a 3-D printed model in
carriers. The CMV-22B hauls up to 6,000 lb (2.7 t) over 1,150 nm the first quarter of 2020. However, a $49.5M rescission in fiscal
(2,130 km) and opens new options for expeditionary and small- 2020 and an $8M mark-up of in the fiscal 2021 National Defense
ship resupply. Test squadron HX-21 took the CMV-22B aboard the Authorization Act has reshuffled the ITE developmental test
amphibious transport dock ship USS New York last July. schedule. The Army is still considering an improved tailrotor
blade to provide 38% more tailrotor thrust and an improved
With production continuing at one to two aircraft per month, tailrotor drive system to high torque and increase thrust, but
plans call for 18 V-22s — eight Navy, five Marine Corps, one Air Boeing Mesa has yet to flight test the improvements.
Force and four JGSDF to be delivered in 2021. The fiscal 2021
defense appropriations bill included money for two more Air Boeing Chinook
Force Special Operations Command CV-22Bs. The last will be Boeing Philadelphia delivered 30 Chinooks in 2020, including
delivered to AFSOC in 2024 to complete the Air Force program 14 CH-47F cargo helicopters to the Royal Netherlands Air Force
of 54 tiltrotors. The Marine Corps program of record for 360 and the first MH-47G Block II special operations aircraft for the
March / April 2021
Ospreys also wraps up in 2024. Separate from new production, US Army 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. The last
the MV-22 CC-RAM (“Common Configuration – Readiness and three CH-47F Block I helicopters for the “regular” US Army will
Modernization”) program will continue at Boeing Philadelphia be delivered this year. Army unit fielding is finished and the last
for the next 10 to 12 years, updating 129 early Block B Ospreys repair cycle float aircraft will complete the fleet of 465 Chinooks
to more available Block C standards with avionics to match the by the second quarter of fiscal 2022.
latest tiltrotors. The Marines have begun studies of a “V-22 Next”
aimed at further enhancing RAM, and will conduct an industry FMS cases complete Block I CH-47F deliveries to Saudi Arabia
day in March 2021. this July. The digital cockpit Block I CH-47F has received detail
16The Army flew an NCH-47D with GE Aviation T408 engines The TH-73A is the helicopter of the Advanced Helicopter
developed for the Marine heavy-lift CH-53K, providing a Training System for the US Navy, Marine Corps and Coast
possible path to further Chinook modernization. (US Army) Guard. (US Navy)
improvements since entering service in 2007. Avionics and the military flight release and evaluate military utility. First
software updates include common avionics architecture system live fire tests on the MH-139A cockpit and cabin armor last July
(CAAS) version 9.4 with Blue Force Tracker displays and changes revealed the armor did not provide the required protection. The
to the hover page. Digital automatic flight control system (DAFCS) service is developing plans to evaluate main gearbox, main rotor
version 3.3 provides a new descent mode with automated blade and the tiltrotor blade damage in the face of expected
tactical approaches. A Canadian CH-147F is due to demonstrate small arms threats. The Air Force also has a requirement for an
autonomous flight this year. infrared suppressor not now on the helicopter.
The Block II CH-47F with high-lift rotor blades, new rotor hubs, The MH-139A testing detachment initially based at Duke Field,
drivetrain, fuel and electrical improvements and an open system Florida, received four aircraft for test and evaluation. Operational
avionics architecture remains in engineering and manufacturing testing is scheduled to begin once developmental testing is
development. Boeing Philadelphia delivered the first of three CH- complete. Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, was named the
47F Block II Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) preferred location for the Grey Wolf formal training unit late
aircraft to the Army last September. Two of the EMD aircraft last year. The first operational aircraft should be delivered to
subsequently underwent Boeing developmental flight testing at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, in fiscal 2022. More training
Boeing Mesa because of the favorable weather conditions. CH-47F and operational helicopters are fielded from fiscal 2022 to fiscal
Block II schedules are still to be determined. Special Operations is 2027. A full fielding plan is being developed.
due to receive 73 Block II MH-47Gs with unique sensors and the
active parallel actuator system (APAS) for tactile cueing. Separate Leonardo Advanced Helicopter Training System
from Block II plans, the Army Combat Capabilities Development NAVAIR last year chose the Leonardo Helicopters TH-73A to
Command Aviation & Missile Center last September flew an NCH- replace the Bell TH-57 Sea Ranger and satisfy the advanced
47D with GE Aviation T408 engines, developed for the Marine rotary-wing and intermediate tiltrotor training needs of the Navy,
heavy lift CH-53K. Marine Corps and Coast Guard. The TH-73A is based on the type-
certificated AW-119 and required no test aircraft. The Advanced
Leonardo Grey Wolf Helicopter Training System (AHTS) takes advantage of existing
The US Air Force chose the commercial AW139 to replace its commercial infrastructure, practices and solutions and entered
UH-1N Twin Hueys in 2018 and formally named the armed and immediately into full-rate production. AWPC will deliver 32 TH-
armored MH-139A Grey Wolf in 2019. Commercial helicopters 73As from March to December 2021 and 130 helicopters total
will be assembled at AgustaWestland Philadelphia Corp (AWPC); through calendar year 2024.
prime contractor Boeing Philadelphia will integrate radios, radar
warning and missile launch receivers, flare and chaff dispensers, Vertex Aerospace, LLC, will provide contractor logistics and
and cockpit and cabin armor prior to delivery, and provide product maintenance support to train several hundred students a year
support for the life of the aircraft. at Naval Air Station Whiting Field in Milton, Florida. Instructor
pilot training for the TH-73A AHTS began in June at AWPC. TH-
The current program of record buys up to 84 MH-139A 57B/C trainers will “sundown” out of the fleet in 2021 and 2022.
helicopters to haul security forces around ballistic missile The program expects to meet Initial Operating Capability in
complexes and nuclear convoys, evacuate Washington fiscal 2022.
leadership before catastrophe and fly search-and-rescue
and other secondary missions at Air Force installations. The Sikorsky Black Hawk
March / April 2021
ultimate acquisition number and rate will be determined by By the end of 2020, the Black Hawk production line in Stratford,
Air Force Global Strike Command. Connecticut, had delivered 831 UH-60M utility helicopters and 281
HH-60M medical evacuation aircraft to the US Army. Mike-model
The Grey Wolf test plan aims to expand the AW139 civil production is scheduled to deliver 46 UH-60M and 15 HH-60M in
certification to the military flight release required for 2021 under the current Multiyear 9 contract ending in June 2022.
government developmental testing. Pandemic delays forced Multiyear 10, in negotiations, runs through 2028 and finishes a
the government to rely more on contractor flight testing. The fleet of 884 UH-60M, 419 HH-60M and 72 Special Operations MH-
Air Force will verify the remaining air vehicle specification for 60M Black Hawks. Sikorsky completed Black Hawk deliveries to
17The HH-60W Jolly Green II has entered service at Moody and The CH-53K heavy-lift replacement helicopter flew flight
Kirtland Air Force Bases. Low-rate initial production of the refueling trials last year and will undergo Initial Operational
new Combat Rescue Helicopter is underway. (US Air Force) Test and Evaluation this year. (US Marine Corps)
Taiwan in 2020. Foreign military sales cases now in process will Sikorsky Naval Hawk
deliver 40 UH-60Ms to the Saudi Arabian National Guard, nine to The US Navy completed its program of record for the highly
the Royal Saudi Land Forces Aviation Command, four to the Royal integrated MH-60R at the end of 2020 after a run of 288 Seahawks.
Thai Army, four to Latvia, four to Croatia and one to Jordan. The Naval Hawk designation used for international S-70B
maritime helicopters now applies to the MH-60R. Sikorsky Rotary
Like the AH-64E attack helicopter, the H-60M Black Hawk with and Mission Systems in Owego, New York, previously completed
wide-chord composite rotor blades will have greater range, more 24 Romeos for Australia and nine for Denmark. New contracts
speed and better high-and-hot performance with the T901 ITE. In cover 24 MH-60Rs for the Indian Navy and four more aircraft for
addition, the H-60M product office in PEO Aviation is managing the Hellenic Navy. The first three Indian aircraft will be transferred
a thermoplastic driveshaft project aimed at reduced weight and US Navy assets to speed delivery, and the first one should arrive
increased load-carrying capability. Other studies evaluate future in India this spring. The MH-60R was also selected by the Republic
software upgrades to implement a MOSA that will free the Army of Korea for Batch 2 of its maritime operation helicopter (MOH)
to implement new functionality without proprietary changes. program. The contract for 12 aircraft should be authorized by the
US Navy by the second quarter of 2021.
Another path to MOSA comes from the UH-60V recapitalization
with a Northrop Grumman digital cockpit. The first production The MH-60R with multi-mode radar, electro-optics, electronic
UH-60L-to-V conversion rolled off the line at Corpus Christi support measures, sonobuoys and dipping sonar dispensed with
Army Depot last summer. The Victor-model is in LRIP to deliver the magnetic anomaly detector towed by the SH-60B Seahawk.
15 helicopters in fiscal 2021 and 72 aircraft over five years. Once CAE announced last November a subcontract from Lockheed
Corpus Christi Army Depot attains full-rate production, plans Martin to supply the CAE Magnetic Anomaly Detection-Extended
call for 48 UH-60V conversions a year to deliver 760 Victor- Role (MAD-XR) system for the US Navy MH-60R. Six Romeos will be
model Black Hawks through fiscal 2039 for US Army National integrated with the MAD-XR during the first phase of the contract.
Guard units. Some 200 of those aircraft will have mounting The US Navy has yet to formalize a service life assessment or
hardware for unit-level HH-60V medical conversions. The extension program (SLAP/SLEP) for the MH-60R and further
Army will also be postured to offer UH-60V conversions to improvements. An FVL Maritime Strike analysis of alternatives
international customers. starting this fall will consider upgrades or replacements for the
MH-60R and unmanned MQ-8B/C Fire Scout. The Navy concluded
An important derivative of the Mike-Model Black Hawk is the Fire Scout production with 30 MQ-8Bs and 32 MQ-8Cs to share
Air Force HH-60W Jolly Green II combat rescue helicopter with small decks with MH-60S Seahawks.
extra fuel, sensors and connectivity. The HH-60W made its first
air refueling in August. Sikorsky has delivered five HH-60W The Navy took the last of 256 MH-60S Knighthawks for vertical
system development test aircraft and three engineering and replenishment, search-and-rescue, armed helicopter and mine
manufacturing development helicopters to Moody Air Force countermeasures missions in 2016, and still plans Sierra-model
Base in Georgia in November and Kirtland Air Force Base in New service life studies. In an unconnected effort, the US Coast Guard
Mexico in January. LRIP Lot 1 and 2 contracts cover 22 aircraft, is buying new MH-60T airframes from Sikorsky to recapitalize
and Whiskey-model production is underway in Stratford. A Lot its fleet of 48 Jayhawks. New 20,000-hour airframes will take the
3 contract for 19 aircraft is expected this year. The Air Force now Coast Guard fleet through 2040.
plans to buy 108 HH-60W helicopters to replace the HH-60G Pave
Hawk. The service will retire 27 HH-60Gs this year. Sikorsky King Stallion
March / April 2021
The CH-53K heavy-lift replacement helicopter for the US Marine
The Sikorsky S-70i is the latest standard Black Hawk built by PZL Corps will undergo initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E)
Mielec in Poland for the global market. Since 2011, PZL Mielec has in 2021. The King Stallion completed air-to-air refueling trials last
produced and delivered a total of 70 S-70i Black Hawk helicopters April with a KC-130J tanker and underwent first sea trials aboard
for customers in nine countries, including Poland. The Philippine the USS Wasp Wasp in June. Sikorsky delivered the first IOT&E-
Department of National Defense commissioned six S-70i Black configured CH-53K aircraft to the Marines in October and has five
Hawk helicopters in December 2020. Ten more aircraft will follow LRIP aircraft in work at Stratford and Bridgeport, Connecticut.
in late 2021. Three system demonstration and test articles (SDTA) at West
18Palm Beach, Florida, will be delivered to the Marines in the first other four will become the first of 21 VH-92 operational helicopters.
half of 2021. IOT&E will use SDTA 1, 2, 3 and 4 and the first LRIP
Lot 1 helicopter. Engineering Development Model 0 (EDM-0) finished the first
phase of mission critical systems testing in 2015 at Owego, New
King Stallion full-rate production will peak at two aircraft per York. A second S-92A was inducted to the program in 2015 and
month. The Marine Corps program of record still calls for 200 both engineering development models were modified for testing.
King Stallions, with first deployment in 2023 or 2024. However, Four fully representative VH-92A test aircraft have since been
the current Force Design 2030 envisions a smaller Marine Corps transferred to HMX-1 for squadron training and data collection
with fewer heavy-lift helicopters. Changes to the King Stallion in support of IOT&E. NAVAIR exercised an option for LRIP Lot
program of record have not been finalized, but the CH-53K is still I in early June 2019 and Lot II in February 2020. All six aircraft
expected to replace the CH-53E by 2030. The US Navy has decided from the first LRIP contract are on schedule to begin deliveries
to retire the MH-53E minesweepers by 2025 and entrust airborne in 2021. LRIP Lot III is planned for the second quarter of fiscal
mine countermeasures to the MH-60S Knighthawk. 2021 with delivery of the final lot of aircraft expected in 2023.
IOC for VH-92A is planned for fourth quarter of fiscal 2021 and
Germany cancelled its STH heavy-lift helicopter tender last full operational capability no later than the second quarter of
year after concluding both contenders to replace aged CH-53Gs fiscal 2023.
— the Sikorsky CH-53K and Boeing CH-47F Block II — were too
expensive when modified to German requirements. The German The VH-3D entered service in 1974 and has begun “sundown.” The
Ministry of Defense is now soliciting bids via the FMS process VH-3 test aircraft has been retired and the operational VH-3D will
and Sikorsky has teamed with Rheinmetall, MTU Aero Engines, follow as the VH-92A enters service per the White House Military
Autoflug Hydro Systems, and Reiser Simulation and Training Office. The VH-60N will likewise leave Presidential service
in Germany for another CH-53K proposal. The Israeli Air Force when determined by the White House Military Office.
is also evaluating the CH-53K and CH-47F to replace its 23
remaining CH-53D Yas’ur helicopters.
Sikorsky VH-92 About the Author
The occupant of the White House is due for a new helicopter to Senior contributing editor Frank Colucci has written for Vertiflite
replace both the VH-3D and VH-60N executive transports flown for the past 20+ years on a range of subjects, including rotorcraft
by Marine squadron HMX-1. The VH-92A integrates the civil- design, civil and military operations, testing, advanced materials,
certified S-92A air vehicle with government-defined mission and systems integration. He can be reached at rotorfrank@aol.com.
systems. Sikorsky has transitioned six EMD VH-92A helicopters for
integrated government testing. Two will remain test assets and the
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