DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. DoD Awarded Contract To Lockheed Martin Corp., For MH-60R Helicopters Under FMS Program
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth + U.S. DoD issued No. 773-13 November 5, 2013(NSI News Source Info) KOTTAKKAL, Kerala, India - November 13, 2013: Lockheed Martin Corp., Owego, N.Y., is being awarded $10,458,900 for firm-fixed-price delivery order 4092 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-09-G-0005) for non-recurring engineering efforts for development and testing of the system configuration 15 series modifications to the MH-60R VHF Omni-directional Range/Instrument Landing System, crash data recorder, and ABS-B Out for the Government of Australia under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Program.
Work will be performed in Owego, N.Y., and is expected to be completed in February 2016.
FMS funds in the amount of $10,458,900 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
The Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk multimission helicopter replaces SH-60B and SH-60F helicopters in the US Navy's fleet and combines the capabilities of these aircraft. MH-60R is also referred to as 'Romeo'.
The helicopter is equipped for a range of missions, including: anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), search and rescue (SAR), naval gunfire support (NGFS), surveillance, communications relay, logistics support and personnel transfer and vertical replenishment (VERTREP). For vertical replenishment missions, the helicopter is fitted with a 2,721.55kg (6,000lb) cargo hook. Lockheed Martin, Owego, is the mission systems integrator.
MH-60R Seahawk helicopter development
The maiden flight of the MH-60R took place in July 2001. The first low-rate initial production (LRIP) helicopters were remanufactured SH-60Bs but the following MH-60Rs are all new-builds.
The first new production MH-60R helicopter was delivered in August 2005. Operational evaluation (OPEVAL) was completed in October 2005 and full-rate production approved in April 2006.
Production levels are due to increase to up to 30 helicopters a month. The US Navy expects to operate 252 MH-60R helicopters by 2015.
In October 2007, the US Navy established the first of five MH-60R squadrons, Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 71 at Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island, San Diego.
In March 2008, the MH-60R conducted first 'at sea' operations from the USS Preble (DDG-88) Aegis destroyer. First operational deployment of the helicopter was completed in early 2009 with the USS Stennis carrier group.
The helicopter operates from frigates, destroyers, cruisers, amphibious ships and aircraft carriers and is suitable for intense littoral warfare operations for handling numerous contacts in confined spaces, and for open-water operations
*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth + U.S. DoD issued No. 773-13 November 5, 2013
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