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Sikorsky Books Record S-76 Sales Sikorsky has announced orders for the S-76 helicopter have reached a 20-year high. Since December last year, the company has received contracts for 49 S-76 aircraft. It has contracts for 36 aircraft and options on another 30 over the next five years. Production at Stratford continues at 12 to 13 aircraft per year, and slots on the production line are nearly sold out for 2004. The manufacturer calculates more than 530 S-76s flown by 192 operators in 44 countries have accumulated over three million flight hours. The current S-76C+ has standardized on the Turbomeca Arriel 2S1 engine, and airframes continue to be produced by Aerovodochody in Czech Republic. Navy Declares MH-60S Operationally Effective After tests conducted by Air Test and Evaluation Squadron One (VX-1) at Patuxent River, Maryland, the U.S. Navy has declared the Sikorsky MH-60S Knighthawk with its Lockheed Martin Common Cockpit operationally effective and operationally suitable. The MH-60S helicopter has already accumulated more than 32,000 flight hours in the fleet, but VX-1 testing preceded the fielding of an enhanced Common Cockpit and other refinements. The test report approves the Knighthawk for full fleet introduction. Navy plans now call for up to 271 MH-60S helicopters to fly vertical replenishment (VERTREP), Airborne Mine Countermeasures (AMCM), strike rescue, Medevac, and other missions. The Block 1 MH-60S with the baseline Common Cockpit achieved Initial Operational Capability in the Vertical Replenishment mission in Fiscal 2002. Block 2A MH-60S aircraft will achieve IOC in 2005 with initial Airborne Mine Countermeasures Capability (AMCM) including the AN/AQS-20 sonar, AES-1 Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS), and Airborne Mine Neutralization System (AMNS). Block 2B aircraft operational in 2007 introduce the Organic Airborne and Surface Influence Sweep system (OASIS) and the Rapid Airborne Mine Clearance System (RAMICS). Block 3A Knighthawks will deploy in Fiscal 2006 with an Armed Helo mission kit including FLIR, guns, armor, and auxiliary fuel. Block 3B introduces the LINK 16 datalink. Block IIIC completes the armed helicopter package with a fixed forward-firing ordnance system and digital map. In addition to the MH-60S the Navy plans 241 new MH-60Rs with Advanced Low Frequency Sonar, Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR), Electronic Support Measures, and realtime datalink will replace SH-60B and F Seahawks in anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare. The MH-60R is scheduled for Operational Evaluation in May 2004 and should achieve IOC in September 2005. Lockheed Martin is currently under contract to build common cockpits for 88 MH-60S and 12 MH-60R multi-mission helicopters. AUSTRALIA TESTS SUPER SEASPRITE The Royal Australian Navy has begun acceptance testing of the Kaman SH-2G(A) Super Seasprite in an Interim Training Helicopter (ITH) configuration. The Australian Defence Force expect to achieve an SH-2G(A) training and utility capability under an Australian Military Type Certificate in the second quarter of 2004. Full Integrated Tactical Avionics System (ITAS) capability is expected by the end of 2004. Kaman, Northrop Grumman Information Technology, and Computer Sciences Corporation Australia continue to develop the Super Seasprite's final operational system software. RAN test pilots and 805 Squadron aircrew and maintainers are training for First of Class Flight Trials (FOCFT), shipboard interface testing, and Operational Test and Evaluation Kaman expects six of the eleven SH-2G(A) Super Seasprites will be accepted in interim configuration to support the initial flight test and training program. Four additional Seasprites are being completed in Australia and will be offered for provisional acceptance when complete. One SH 2G(A) remains in electromagnetic compatibility testing at Patuxent River Maryland and will be kept in the US for future systems testing and development.
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