The US Navy has awarded Sikorsky a $115 million contract for engineering work that includes the installation of a range of capabilities for the Royal Danish Air Force’s nine new MH-60R Seahawk helicopters.
US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) – the contracting body – first announced that the USN would sell nine “green” MH-60Rs and associated support to Denmark in December 2012 under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme. The Seahawks will replace the Danish Westland Lynx Mk 90B helicopter fleet, which entered service from 1980.
The USN awarded Sikorsky the $135 million contract for the aircraft in May 2013, while a separate contract was awarded to Lockheed Martin for installation of the integrated mission systems – a development arrangement that is standard for the MH-60R.
Covering “non-recurring engineering work”, the new contract was awarded on 20 June. Under its terms, Sikorsky will install a hydraulic deck lock system to secure each aircraft to the ship, troop seats, wire strike protection, a VOR/ILS navigation system, an HF radio antenna and an external life raft pod.
It was reported in 2012 that the acquisition of the aircraft for Denmark's navy would be worth some $700 million, and NAVAIR confirmed to Flight Global that the recent contract award comes under this total amount.
All nine aircraft are due to be delivered to the Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation by 2018 under the FMS programme, with the first aircraft to be delivered by May 2016, Sikorsky confirms.
In addition to meeting USN fleet requirements, the Seahawk development team has the capacity to deliver between 18 and 23 additional aircraft annually to FMS customers, according to NAVAIR.
Source: Flight International
