Paul Derby
With so much focus trained on development of the Boeing Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche armed scout helicopter here at Paris, Sikorsky's H-60 series has taken something of a back-seat - but only in the publicity stakes.
Sikorsky executives say continuing manufacture of both the UH-60 Black Hawk and the SH-60 Seahawk series, combined with a wealth of re-manufacturing opportunities, will see the programmes thrive well into the 21st Century.
"People talk about us prolonging the life of the H-60 series but that suggests it's in some sort of terminal decline," says John Bulakowski, director of the H-60 army/air force product line. "In reality, it's alive and kicking and it forms a crucial part of Sikorsky's future.
The US Navy and US Navy Reserve's helicopter master plan for the future is one of the key opportunities. The plan calls for the navy to rationalise its helicopter inventory from seven types down to two by 2005.
"This is a proven airframe," says Bulakowski. "The fact that it's been around for so many years tells you that. And now the H-60 is the aircraft of choice for the master plan."
A new common SH-60R standard is the goal, with the USN's multi-purpose SH-60B, special forces/search and rescue HH-60H and anti-submarine warfare SH-60F being modified to the new standard.
Meanwhile, the US Army's much larger fleet of UH-60 utility machines continues to provide valuable revenue. Analysts speculate that the US Army might opt for a new UH-60X configuration that would involve re-engining and 'stretching' an existing 250 helicopters.
One powerplant answer would be using the GE CT7-8 engine, destined for Sikorsky's S-92 Helibus, along with the aircraft's larger transmission and rotor system.
Source: Flight Daily News
