Less than a year after receiving a pair of the new Sikorsky HH-60W combat rescue helicopters, the US Air Force (USAF) plans to upgrade the type with new systems worth up to $ 981 million.
The service said the helicopters had been taken over by the new threat, according to the Justifications and Agreements for Other than Full and Open Competencies published online on February 11. The notice said the US government needed to hire Sikorsky, without soliciting competitive bids, to integrate the updates quickly.
"Over the last five years of implementation [engineering development and manufacturing], the base of the original requirements [Combat Rescue Helicopter] has grown as a result of changes in threat conditions and evolving mission requirements," the USAF said. "Responding to these operational needs is an impetus for continued development and integration of new capabilities at the [Combat Rescue Helicopter] baseline and downstream fields at each of the major operating bases."
The service said the first modifications should begin in fiscal 2021. The service provides for a five-year order period using unlimited shipping, unlimited quantity contracts with an estimated upper limit of $ 981 million. The capabilities will be integrated into the USAF HH-60W Jolly Green II fleet over the next seven years.
"Given the highly integrated nature of CRH's technical architecture, any modification will require a combination of hardware and software upgrades," the service said. "The upgrade will include, but is not limited to, avionics (both hardware and software), structures, mandates, shortage reports, increasingly scarce manufacturing resources and training systems."
Additional details on the new capabilities that are planned for the HH-60W fleet have been removed in the justification and approval notices.
The HH-60W is an upgraded version of the US Army's UH-60M Black Hawk This variant has an auxiliary fuel tank that provides a 195nm (361km) non-rechargeable combat radius. The aerial refueling arm allows the helicopter to fly further. It is also equipped with countermeasures to protect against surface-to-air missiles, including a digital radar warning receiver, laser and missile warning systems, and enemy fire warning systems.
The service's Combat Rescue Helicopter Program registered a request for 113 HH-60Ws to replace the aging fleet of HH-60G Pave Hawks.
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