Romeo, Wherefore Art Thou, Romeo?
The first new production MH-60R took to the skies July 28th at
the Sikorsky Aircraft facility in Stratford, CT. The aircraft flew
a total of 1.5 hours and performed the entire flight acceptance
profile, which included flight control checks, vibration
measurements and engine power checks, without incident.
"The first flight of the Romeo is both exciting and indicative
of the momentum this program has picked up towards getting into
full rate production. It marks another milestone on the way to what
so many people in the Navy, and at Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin
have worked so hard to achieve," said Len Wengler, vice president
of Maritime Programs at Sikorsky Aircraft.
The MH-60R is the next generation submarine hunter and surface
attack helicopter. It will replace the fleet's legacy SH-60B and
SH-60F aircraft. The Navy is expected to order as many as 254
MH-60R aircraft through 2015, with production quantities increasing
to 30 aircraft per year.
Lockheed Martin is the mission systems integrator for the
MH-60R, and also provides the digital Common Cockpit(TM) avionics
suite, which is common to all MH-60S and MH-60R helicopters.
Sikorsky designs and manufactures the MH-60S and MH-60R aircraft
and is responsible for the mechanical and electrical modifications
on the airframe.
"We are eagerly awaiting the arrival later this month of the
first new production MH-60R helicopter at our systems integration
facility in Owego, NY, where we will begin installation of the
aircraft's integrated mission systems," said Jeff Bantle, vice
president and general manager of Lockheed Martin's Multi-Mission
Solutions business unit. "This first aircraft also is important as
a symbol of the enduring 30-year relationship between Lockheed
Martin, Sikorsky and the US Navy to develop helicopter weapons
systems that keep vigilant watch over the Fleet."
Test MH-60R aircraft have been in Operational Evaluation
(OPEVAL) since May. Designed as a rigorous assessment of the
aircraft and its mission systems in operational flight conditions,
OPEVAL is the aircraft's final test phase before fleet introduction
and delivery. The aircraft successfully completed the Navy's
six-month-long developmental test phase, known as Technical
Evaluation, in February.
The MH-60R program, co-led by Cmdr. Kevin Switick and Mr. Robert
Kimble, is a department within the Multi-mission Helicopter Program
Office (PMA-299), headquartered at the Naval Air Systems Command in
Patuxent River, MD. PMA-299 is administered by the Program
Executive Office for Air ASW, Assault and Special Mission Programs
(PEO-A).