Sat, Jun 28, 2014
Sikorsky Will Develop The New Aircraft
The Air Force awarded a $1.28 billion contract for the initial engineering and manufacturing development phase of the new combat rescue helicopter to Sikorsky Aircraft Company on June 26. The contract also includes procurement of the first four of the program’s planned 112 aircraft.
“Over the last 10 years, the Air Force has discussed upgrading the platform that performs this sacred mission for all Department of Defense personnel who go into harm’s way,” said Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James in a news release. “This mission is part of the military ethos, and the Air Force is committed to providing it.”
The Air Force is the primary service tasked to organize, train, equip and provide forces to conduct global personnel recovery operations with the specific capability to conduct theater-wide combat search and rescue. “The resulting contract is $700 million below the government's affordability target gate,” James said. “The government has performed a thorough analysis of the proposed price and concluded this contract award is a very good buy for the taxpayer.”
The combat search and rescue mission has saved more than 12,200 U.S., allied and host nation forces in conflicts worldwide, and combat rescue helicopters have played a necessary and vital role in missions worldwide, rescuing more than 5,000 people since Sept. 11, 2001.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III emphasized the importance of the combat rescue mission. “We are committed to ensuring our Airmen are equipped to rescue America's warriors whenever and wherever necessary,” said Welsh. “This contract secures that mission for many years to come.”
“We are honored that the Air Force has selected Sikorsky to develop and build the new Combat Rescue Helicopter,” said Sikorsky President Mick Maurer. “Since 1943, Sikorsky has proudly provided the combat rescue helicopter platform to enable the Air Force to perform one of its most important and sacred missions – bringing our downed service members home safely."
(Image provided by Sikorsky)
More News
Airplane Bounced About 3 Ft Then Touched Back Down And Then, With No Brakes Applied, The Airplane Began Veering To The Left Analysis: The pilot entered the airport traffic pattern >[...]
Aero Linx: British Microlight Aircraft Association (BMAA) The primary focus within all aviation activity is SAFETY. In all aspects of our sport SAFETY must come first, whether it b>[...]
From SnF25 (YouTube Edition): William Wynne Builds Practical Aircraft Engines on the Corvair Platform Seeking an affordable alternative to the traditional aircraft engine options, >[...]
How To Get A Story On Aero-TV News/Feature Programming How do I submit a story idea or lead to Aero-TV? If you would like to submit a story idea or lead, please contact Jim Campbel>[...]
From 2023 (YouTube Edition): Bridge of CiES CiES Inc. is a Bend, Oregon-based designer and manufacturer of modular embedded aircraft systems and sensors. The company’s fuel-l>[...]
NTSB Final Report: Aviat A1
See All