Sikorsky unveils H-92 Superhawk

[FMolloy]

From defence-data.com

18 June 2003

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp has unveiled its newest military helicopter, the H-92 SUPERHAWK at the Paris Air Show, and said it would be a formidable competitor in current and future government helicopter procurements world-wide.

"The H-92 SUPERHAWK is a worthy addition to the Sikorsky product lineup," said Jeff Pino, Sikorsky's senior vice president for business development."Like the BLACK HAWK helicopter from which we derived the new aircraft's name, the H-92 SUPERHAWK will feature the kind of safety, survivability, and mission performance that customers around the world associate with Sikorsky."

Drawing on the aircraft development programme that created the Sikorsky S-92, the base model H-92 SUPERHAWK will have ballistic tolerance improvements, including self-sealing fuel tanks and additional armour protection for sensitive areas of the aircraft.All H-92 SUPERHAWKs will also carry self-defence systems such as IR suppression and chaff/flare systems to protect against missile attack.The aircraft will also include a military-grade wiring bus as part of an overall upgraded military avionics capability that can be configured to meet each customer's requirements.

"We see the H-92 SUPERHAWK as an outstanding platform for military uses," Pino said."Each customer we work with has a different mission profile, and the H-92 SUPERHAWK provides tremendous flexibility to support a wide variety of unique system requirements in the years ahead."

Powering the new H-92 SUPERHAWK will be two new GE CT7-8C engines, uprated as much as 25% from the CT7-8A engines found on the civil S-92 helicopter.Sikorsky and GE Aircraft Engines signed their agreement to the new engine programme here at the Paris Air Show.

The H-92 SUPERHAWK is already competing to win the 28-aircraft Maritime Helicopter Project in Canada, and is Sikorsky's candidate for the impending replacement programme for the US Presidential transport mission, Marine One.A combat search and rescue (CSAR) version of the H-92 SUPERHAWK was identified by the US Air Force as the preferred alternative for that service's upcoming programme to replace more than 100 aging PAVE HAWK aircraft.

The H-92 SUPERHAWK loads onto a C-5 or C-17 transport aircraft in under three hours, with minimal ground support equipment required.

[Bud Fox]

Looks like the boys at Sikorsky knew that the S92 may not be up to the same standard of the EH-101 as the 101 had been high on the USAF's list for the Pave Hawks replacement.

Wonder if they exteneded the range?
Should the IAC be pleased that they avoided buying a "civil" version of the S 92.
On that thought have Sikorsky had any / many military customers for it??

[Goldie fish]

I believe Ireland was the First Military Customer for it. Norsk Helikopter of Norway ordered 2 earlier this year for offshore operations,Cougar Helicopters of Nova Scotia also ordered 3. 5 is hardly enough to keep a production line open.I have not heard of any further Customers,so maybe for once cancelling the order was a good idea. Sikorsky say

more than 20 or so deliveries still out there in market limbo. Some of these orders are with ERA and Hong Kong scheduled-carrier East Asia Airlines. On top of those orders are pending military business throughout Europe and the Near East totaling potential sales of several hundred over the next decade.

Sounds like wishful thinking.
The only thing the H92 is being earmarked for is Marine one,which was normally a Seaking,though more recently a Blackhawk type was being used.

On the other Hand,the EH101,an outsider in the heli business is enjoying great success with sales of 80 aircraft in Canada,Italy,Japan and of course the UK. The US 101 will be built in the US by Bell Helicopters. The S92 has yet to secure a contract in its country of origin..hardly a seal of approval?

[andy]

(U.S)Competition for presidential helicopter soars

The Hartford Courant

Competition for presidential helicopter soars

Associated Press

March 11, 2004

CHANTILLY, Va. -- Competition for the right to build the presidential helicopter soared Wednesday as the two companies vying for the contract showed off their product and their patriotism.

Connecticut-based Sikorsky Aircraft is spending the week offering rides in its VH-92 Super Hawk, while Maryland-based Lockheed Martin ramped up its list of U.S subcontractors to quell concerns that its US101 aircraft is partly foreign made.

Out on the runway at Dulles Airport, just west of Washington, D.C., the deep green Super Hawk lifted off Wednesday into the snowy sky for a brief jaunt. Inside the aircraft, passengers settled into the rich, creamy Corinthian leather seats and eyed the plush accommodations, including a bathroom and three built-in television screens.

The VIP model's interior looks little like the high-security, high-tech presidential suite that would be built for the Marine One aircraft used to ferry the president. But those details are classified, and Sikorsky officials were more focused on the "All American" label they said is a key cornerstone of their offering.

"I don't know how you'd do this mission with foreign suppliers," said Sikorsky Senior Vice President Jeff Pino, referring to Lockheed's aircraft, which is based on the EH101 helicopter built by AgustaWestland, a British-Italian company.

Lockheed's vice president and general manager, Stephen D. Ramsey, said Wednesday that while the aircraft is 65 percent American made, about 90 percent of the lifetime costs will go to U.S. suppliers because maintenance and support will be done in America.

Pino and Ramsey said the Navy will make its decision based on which helicopter is safer, better made and has the best capabilities for the president. Both teams have spent a lot of time and effort promoting their red, white and blue bloodlines. And members of Congress have joined the fight.

"People can be persuaded by eye wash and pretty pictures, and that worries me," said Rep. Rob Simmons, R-Conn., who got a 45-minute Super Hawk trip along the Potomac River, one of about 20 rides the company is doing this week for members of Congress, staff and media. "We need to put the president of the United States in an American helicopter."

Sikorsky, which has been building the presidential fleet since 1957, assembles the helicopter at its plant in Stratford, Conn.

But Rep. Sherwood Boehlert, R-N.Y., flew in the US101 in December and made his pitch for the Lockheed aircraft to President Bush when he visited the Oval Office the next day.

"I don't want (people) thinking that this is a 'made in the USA' product versus a foreign product," Boehlert said Wednesday. The contract, he said, would boost work at Lockheed's plant in Owego, N.Y.

Lockheed's US101 is taller and wider, has three engines, and there are more than 90 in service. Sikorsky's Super Hawk is about two feet narrower, has two engines, and is built so it can be transported by C-5 and C-17 aircraft without major reassembly. Both use engines built by General Electric Co., in its Lynn, Mass., plant.

The companies submitted their bids in early February and the Navy is expected to make its decision in May or June. While the contract calls for just 23 helicopters for the Marine's HMX Squadron, the winner is likely to have an edge when the Pentagon looks to replace hundreds of aircraft in coming years.

But the prestige alone is priceless.

"This is the most photographed helicopter. There is tremendous prestige from being on the White House lawn with the white and green top," said Pino, the Sikorsky senior vice president. "This is a very fundamental decision, both for pride and business

[andy]

Air War over Presidential Helicopter
Fort Worth Star Telegram

(July 20, 2004)

The competition to build the next Marine One presidential helicopter pits Sikorsky Aircraft's S-92, shown with company president Stephen Finger, against the US101, built by a team that includes Bell Helicopter.


The heated competition to build a new generation of helicopters to transport U.S. presidents got a little hotter Monday in the spotlight of one of the world aerospace industry's premier events.

A senior executive of Lockheed Martin Corp. lashed out at competitor Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. for staging what he called a hypocritical, cynical and highly political marketing campaign to try to win an order to build 23 helicopters that will serve as Marine One, the presidential transport.

Sikorsky's campaign theme that it would build an "all American" helicopter is a blatant political appeal, said Bob Trice, a senior vice president for business development at Lockheed's headquarters in Bethesda, Md.

Trice's comments came in a news briefing on the opening day of the Farnborough Air Show and were unusually direct, especially coming from a typically reserved Lockheed executive.

"We would like for the presidential helicopter to be evaluated on the merits, not some jingoistic slogan," Trice said of Sikorsky's sales pitch.

A senior Sikorsky official rejected Trice's charges.

"It smacks of desperation to me," said Jeff Pino, Sikorsky's senior vice president and a longtime executive at Bell Helicopter in Fort Worth.

Trice and Pino both said they were confident of winning the Marine One competition if it is decided solely on the technical merits of the two helicopters.

Lockheed is the lead contractor for a team that also includes Bell and Italian-British helicopter manufacturer AgustaWestland. The companies want to sell the US101 helicopter, a largely U.S.-built version of the AgustaWestland EH-101 military helicopter, to serve as Marine One.

A decision on the Marine One contract is expected this year.

Sikorsky's marketing efforts, Trice said, implied that buying a helicopter designed by companies from other nations, with some foreign-made parts, could somehow endanger the U.S. president. Both Italy and Britain, he noted, are staunch U.S. allies.

The only competition for the prestigious contract is Sikorsky's S-92, a helicopter developed for the civil aviation market. Sikorsky developed the S-92 with financial investments from a number of foreign nations and suppliers -- including China -- who in turn build portions of the civil helicopters.

With President Bush occupying the White House and influential Texans holding key positions in Congress, aviation analysts have said it's probably no accident that both programs would bring work and jobs to Texas companies.

Bell would manufacture some components of the US101 in Fort Worth and assemble the helicopters in Amarillo. Lockheed would then ferry the helicopters to its Owego, N.Y., facility, where it would install the complex, highly customized flight controls and communications and defensive systems required for the presidential aircraft.

Sikorsky selected Vought Aircraft Industries of Dallas to produce the large structural components of the presidential version of the S-92 if it wins the contract.

Trice's remarks came during a briefing on the importance of the growing number of partnerships between aerospace companies in different countries for developing and manufacturing aircraft and aerospace products.

Lockheed's partnership with suppliers from several foreign nations to build the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is a prime example, he said, of what should be a growing trend in the global aerospace industry.

Such partnerships help maintain the capabilities of aerospace companies in the participating countries, Trice said, and result in higher-quality, lower-cost products for the military services and civil customers.

Trice said efforts to block or hamper the spread of such partnerships, such as an attempt by Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., to limit the U.S. military's purchases of weapons and goods made by foreign firms, would be counterproductive and harmful to the international aerospace industry.

Lockheed and virtually every other major aerospace corporation are involved in numerous partnership arrangements, Trice said, with Sikorsky being a prime example. He cited a Sikorsky announcement from August 2003 that said the company was "at the helm of a global partnership to design and build the S-92."

Sikorsky, based in Stamford, Conn., and a subsidiary of aerospace conglomerate United Technologies, is one of the world's leading military helicopter manufacturers. Like Lockheed, Trice said, Sikorsky has major operations and thousands of employees outside the United States and does business with many foreign companies.

When it came time to bid for the presidential helicopter contract, Sikorsky announced it would build an "All American" airplane with help only from other U.S. companies.

"We find this incredible," Trice said. "We find it the ultimate in hypocrisy."

Later, he added that the campaign, which Sikorsky pushed hard in the spring when it appeared that the decision on the contract might be forthcoming in May, was "pandering to election-year forces."

Pino, however, said Sikor-sky's decision to replace its foreign partners with U.S. companies for the presidential helicopters was a pragmatic decision that would enable the company to meet the heavy security requirements.

When the Navy issued the request for proposals in October 2003, it initially set a timeline for making a decision by June 1.

Given the short time frame involved, Pino said, "it was clear to us the safest, securest and least risky approach was to create an all-onshore team of U.S. suppliers who were experienced in serving the president of the United States in one form or another."

Although the competition to build Marine One is for only 23 helicopters, both companies hope that it could lead to large orders from the Pentagon for military versions of the aircraft.

"This is a difficult and very focused competition," Pino said. "I think it's going to be decided on its merits, not on politics."

Squaring off

Key partners in the US101 and S-92 helicopters competing to become the next Marine One presidential transport:

US101

Lockheed Martin, United States

AgustaWestland, Italy, Great Britain

Bell Helicopter, U.S.

Kaman Aerospace, U.S.

General Electric, U.S.

Northrop Grumman, U.S.

S-92

Sikorsky Aircraft, United States

Vought Aircraft Industries, U.S.

General Electric, U.S.

Northrop Grumman, U.S.

L-3 Communications Integrated Systems, U.S.

Rockwell Collins, U.S.

For more news or to subscribe, please visit http://www.dfw.com


Copyright ?2004 Fort Worth Star Telegram. All Rights Reserved.

[andy]

I saw a report on this on Channel 4 news. Its looks like a very important contract. The Merlin (U.K. and Italian made - both of which are key US allies ) is said by US defence analyists as being safer and better all round. However there will be uproar if this contract goes overseas.

Its expected that whoever will win this contract will get the 100+ helis for the navy. Personally I think they should give this to Sikorsky and keep the jobs in upstate new york.

[Goldie fish]

Remember the fuss when they got harriers,and later on,hawks? It wont be the first time the US has sourced aircraft overseas,and got local companies to build them.

[California Tanker]

By US law, any major US government purchase must be made in the US.

Hence all the license-built factories.

NTM

[mutter nutter]

US-101/EH-101 win's US president's contract

Lockheed Martin to Build New Presidential Helicopter

The Department of Defense announced today that the team led by Lockheed Martin Systems Integration, Owego, N.Y., has been selected to build the new presidential helicopter (VXX) based on its U.S. 101 medium lift helicopter.



This $1.7 billion, cost plus award fee contract will launch the VXX program’s system development and demonstration phase during which the program will integrate a “system of systems” with a modern, in-production aircraft to provide the president with safe and reliable helicopter transportation.



“Today’s announcement is a significant milestone that caps an exhaustive and deliberative source selection process that carefully followed the Federal Acquisition Regulations,” said John Young, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition. “The determined effort, long hours and hard work by both the VXX government team and the two industry teams will ensure a high level of quality and safety for future presidents, as well as a timely, efficient and effective program execution.”



“This decision truly reflects the best value and capability for the American taxpayer who is funding it, the Marines who will operate it and the future presidents who will fly in it,” Young added.



The fleet of helicopters that currently supports the presidential mission includes 30-year old aircraft that were designed in the 1960’s, fielded in the 1970’s and no longer has the growth capability to incorporate the equipment necessary to provide suitable presidential support in the post 9-11 environment.



“Under this replacement program, with its technology and performance improvements, a single platform will provide better savings in total ownership costs, engineering, maintenance and logistical support over the lifetime of the program,” Young said. “The president needs a more survivable helicopter while the nation engages in the Global War on Terrorism, and we are committed to providing it as soon as possible.”



The original Presidential Helicopter Replacement Program of record proposed an initial operating capability in 2013. The VXX program was accelerated in 2003 with a currently planned IOC in fiscal year 2009.



For more information, please contact Navy Public Affairs at (703) 697-5342

[Goldie fish]

So the US101 has won the contract to fly POTUS around the place.Some are enraged that the future Presidents of the United states will be flown about in an aircraft which is less than 100% US buil.t Many believe this is the end for Sikorsky,though I thought the success of the Blackhawk would see their success well into the future.

Lockheed Martin will be assembling the US101.(according to what I saw on CNN earlier)

[Goldie fish]

Delivery expected in 2011. And we thought we had a long wait. Meanwhile,the same aircraft is expected to replace the USMC Sea Knights,until the Osprey comes on stream(speaking of which,all the nasty teething problems seem to be getting sorted out,almost 20 years since the development started).

Made in Italy and the UK :tri:

[faughanballagh]

The US101 looks like it has a ramp in the back as opposed to a port side door. Is the President going to storm out in full battle gear like an Army Ranger?

Anyway, I'm not liking this trend of selling out to the Euros for our defense capabilities. The new USAF tanker might be a Scarebus as well.

[ex pat 007]

Im all for purchasing the best equipment for the job whether it comes from South Carolina or South Korea.

[Come-quickly]

Yeah but your a filthy Johnny Foreigner

[strummer]

It a Lockheed Martin for jaysus sake. Of course some parts are coming from somewhere else. Does anyone think that 100% of the parts on their Ford truck are USA manufactured or assembled? Of course not. Same deal with these "whirlybirds." The only people I've seen or heard making a big deal out of it were CNN and the IMO ninja warriors (turtles?).

Later.