Handshake Agreement In Place With Sikorsky, Officials Say

The Department of Defense has reached a "handshake" agreement with Sikorsky to begin production of the VH-92A Presidential helicopter, according to Pentagon officials.

The announcement was made at the Navy League’s 2019 Sea Air Space exposition, according to a report from USNI News. NAVAIR has already taken delivery of three VH-92A for evaluation, and a decision is expected at the end of the month following a meeting with James Geurts, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition.

Marine Maj. Gen. Gregory L. Masiello, the program executive officer for Air anti-submarine warfare, assault and special mission programs (PEO (A)), said during a presentation at the conference that based on feedback from test pilots, production of the new helicopter is expected to start "soon" after the milestone meeting. Masiello said that the testing has gone "reasonably well ... because I know where the aircraft took off from every day and I know where they landed every day, and it was where it was supposed to. The feedback was relatively positive."

Masiello said that if the outcome of the meeting is positive, a production contract for the life of the program is expected to be awarded to Sikorsky.

(NAVAIR photo)

FMI: Source report