LM Delivers 50th Fully Missionized MH-60R Multimission Helicopter to the U.S. Navy

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Lockheed Martin Delivers 50th Fully Missionized MH-60R Multimission Helicopter to the U.S. Navy
UNITED STATES - 9 FEBRUARY 2010

Lockheed Martin [NYSE:LMT] has formally delivered the 50th MH-60R helicopter, fully equipped for its mission to protect the U. S. Navy fleet from hostile submarines and surface ships.

The newest member of the SEAHAWK® family of maritime helicopters is designed and manufactured by Sikorsky, with advanced mission systems integration by Lockheed Martin.

“I am extremely proud of the MH-60R team, which has enabled this important milestone in the Romeo's continued introduction to the fleet,” said Rear Adm. Steve Eastburg, Program Executive Officer Air ASW, Assault and Special Mission programs. “The enormous multimission capability of this platform continues to be leveraged by the warfighter in new and innovative ways. It is truly a game-changing platform that will deliver powerful capabilities, ranging from low-end to high-end warfare, in the years ahead.”

During the February 3 delivery ceremony at Lockheed Martin’s Mission Systems & Sensors facility in Owego, NY, Rear Adm. Paul Grosklags, vice commander, Naval Air Systems Command thanked Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky employees and other key suppliers for their contributions to this important program.

“The MH-60R has evolved over 30 years, through lessons learned during developmental testing, fleet deployments and maintenance on these rugged airframes and mission systems, in the harshest maritime environments,” said Grosklags. “It stands now as the premier multimission helicopter in operation today. The U.S. Navy is grateful for the tremendous teamwork and experience you bring to deliver this remarkable weapon system.”

This week, an aircrew from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron Seven Zero (HSM-70) will fly the 50th aircraft from the Owego, NY, facility to its new home at the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Fla. The aircraft is the 10th MH-60R delivered to HSM-70, which was established in February 2009.

HSM-70 will deploy with 11 MH-60R aircraft aboard the USS George H.W. Bush carrier strike group (CVN 77) in 2011. To date, the U.S. Navy has established and equipped four MH-60R squadrons, with plans to fill out 16 more through the purchase of 300 aircraft.

“The 50th delivery is a great opportunity to reflect on the success of the MH-60R within the fleet, to look forward to the expansion of the MH-60R throughout the helicopter community and to recognize the organizations that have brought this tremendous capability to the Navy,” said Captain Dean Peters, the U.S. Navy's MH-60 program manager. “Today, these highly integrated platforms are building a situational awareness picture of the surface and undersea domains that is proving invaluable to fleet operators.”

As mission systems integrator for the Sikorsky-built MH-60R, Lockheed Martin is responsible for integrating the helicopter’s digital cockpit, a multi-mode radar, acoustic sonar suite, long-range infrared camera and other advanced sensors to detect, identify, track and engage surface and subsurface targets. Lockheed Martin also integrates a self defense system to protect the aircraft from missile threats.

“The highly integrated nature of the Common Cockpit™ avionics suite and the mission systems allows the aircrew to spend less time interpreting data and more time prosecuting the target,” said George Barton, Lockheed Martin’s director of Naval Helicopter Programs.

U.S. Navy test squadrons concluded 1900 hours of rigorous MH-60R flight and mission systems evaluations in 2005. Since full rate production began in early 2006, Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky have delivered all MH-60R aircraft to the U.S. Navy ahead of schedule.

The companies expect to deliver up to 27 fully-missionized MH-60R aircraft in calendar year 2010 to the U.S. Navy as part of a five-year contract for 139 MH-60R aircraft through 2013. Extra production capacity exists to deliver an additional 20 aircraft each year for sale by the U.S. Government to international navies.

The U.S. Navy deployed with 11 MH-60R aircraft for the first time from January to July 2009 with the USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) carrier strike group. During exercises in the western Pacific, the MH-60R proved to be an exceptional sub hunter and surface warfare weapons platform, accomplishing a 95 percent sortie completion rate, and showing it can perform utility and search and rescue missions among other secondary missions.

Lockheed Martin provides the mission systems integration for the U.S. Navy's multi-role MH-60R helicopter, which combines anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare in an all-new weapon platform.





Source: Lockheed Martin

 

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USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) Returns to Sea for Squadron Carrier Qualifications
UNITED STATES - 15 MARCH 2010

USS JOHN C. STENNIS, At Sea -- USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) returned to sea March 12 to begin fleet replacement squadron carrier qualifications (FRSCQ) and to perform a major ammunition offload.

Carrier qualifications allow newly trained pilots to gain experience landing aboard a carrier in assigned tactical aircraft.

Each pilot is tasked with 12 day arrested landings and six night landings, as well as "touch-and-goes," where aircraft land and take off again without catching an arresting cable.

"What's different from fleet operations is, it's continuous flight ops (operations)," said Cmdr. Shelby Stratton, Stennis' air boss. "We are recovering aircraft and launching continuously, so the pattern is always full."

The 29 fleet replacement squadron pilots are from the "Flying Eagles" of Strike Fighter Squadron VFA 122, the "Sharpshooters" of Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron VMFAT 101 and the "Vikings" of Electronic Attack Squadron VAQ 129. Collectively, they are expected to perform 96 hours of flight operations consisting of 570 arrested landings, a third of which will be at night.

"It's one of the more difficult and taxing things we ask of the flight deck [crews], because it's just continuous flight operations," said Stratton. "It's going to be long 12 hour days with two hour breaks in the middle, then get up and do it again."

After the completion of FRSCQ, Stennis will conduct an ordnance offload prior to returning to its homeport of Bremerton, Wash.

The ordnance offload is scheduled to span three days with Stennis's crew moving 2.5 million pounds of ordnance with 1,300 total lifts by connected and vertical replenishment.

"Even though it's hard work everyone is happy to do it, because it's the end of this cruise and surge period," said Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class (AW) Jason Homchick.

Stennis is the surge-ready carrier on the west coast and vital in performing fleet replacement squadron pilot qualifications. Once the qualifications and ammunition offload are complete, the ship will finalize preparations for a planned incremental availability maintenance period.

File Photo: U.S. Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74)



PACIFIC OCEAN (Feb. 2, 2010) Aviation Machinist's Mate 3rd Class Jeffrey Brensnehan, from Tampa, Fla., directs an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter from the Eightballers of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 8, to power down on the flight deck aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). John C. Stennis is underway off the coast of Southern California supporting pilot carrier qualifications for naval air training command.



PACIFIC OCEAN (Feb. 13, 2010) Aviation Ordnanceman 3rd Class Danny Montoya, from Los Lunas, N.M., checks the sights on a .50-caliber machine gun before a live-fire exercise aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). John C. Stennis is transiting to its homeport of Bremerton, Wash. after completing pilot carrier qualifications for fleet replacement squadrons and naval air training command.

 

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MH-60 Program nominated for Laureate Award
UNITED STATES - 18 MARCH 2010

The H-60 Helicopter program team was nominated by Aviation Week and Space Technology magazine for the publications prestigious Laureate Awards Wed. at the Andrew Mellon auditorium in Washington, D.C.

The nomination was for the MH-60 Romeo and MH-60 Sierra team for their instrumental roles in the deployment of the new MH-60R, or Romeo, on board the USS John Stennis Carrier Strike Group in 2009. The Romeo, along with its sister aircraft, the MH-60S, performed for the first time as a team.

“To have the H-60 Team honored by Aviation Week is a great privilege,” said Capt. Dean Peters, U.S. Navy, H-60 Helicopters program manager. “The entire team was completely focused on supporting the first deployments of the MH-60R and the MH-60S in their expanded role within the Carrier Strike Group. Daily coordination with test organizations, supply activities and fleet users resulted in a highly successful first deployment. The Team is now applying its energy in support of the many subsequent future deployments. The men and women who operate and maintain these multi-mission helicopters deserve nothing less.”

The H-60 Program Team was one of five nominees in the 2010 Military category.

The Navy’s helicopter communities completed the first ever joint MH-60R and MH-60S deployment aboard USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) in Jul. 2009.

This deployment marked the beginning of MH-60R and MH-60S deployments aboard aircraft carriers and provided the Strike Group Commander with a significant increase in situational awareness and warfighting capability.

This was also the first major deployment for the MH-60R and during the six month cruise the “Raptors” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 71 flew over 2,700 hours with 11 aircraft, and completed over 1,500 sorties with 95 percent availability.

The MH-60R proved to be an exceptional submarine hunter and surface warfare weapons platform during exercises in the western Pacific.

During the same deployment, the MH-60S flew nearly 1,600 hours in support of 7th Fleet operations and demonstrated helicopter Link 16 capability in the battle group for the first time.

The "Eightballers" of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron Eight deployed for the first time with six Armed Helicopters capable of carrying eight Hellfire missiles, four machine guns and an advanced Multi-Spectral Targeting System Forward Looking Infrared system.

HSC-8 completed Helicopter Visit Board Search and Seizure, Surface Warfare, Plane Guard, Search and Rescue and other utility missions in their area of responsibility.

 

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 25, 2010) A lineman gives the signal to the pilots to start the engines of an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the Spartans of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 70 on the campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

CORONADO, Calif. (July 5, 2009) MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopters assigned to the Raptors of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 71 prepare to land during a homecoming celebration at Naval Air Station North Island after completing their maiden deployment with Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9 aboard the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). HSM-71 was the first operational MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter squadron.

PACIFIC OCEAN (May 26, 2009) An MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter from the "Raptors" of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 71 hovers with its sonar dipping buoy lowered in front of the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) during flight operations. John C. Stennis and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9 are on a scheduled six-month deployment to the western Pacific Ocean.

PACIFIC OCEAN (May 26, 2009) An MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter from the "Raptors" of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 71 circles the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) during flight operations. John C. Stennis and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9 are on a scheduled six-month deployment to the western Pacific Ocean.

PACIFIC OCEAN (March 28, 2009) An MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter from the "Eightballers" of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 8, front, and an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter from the "Raptors" of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 71 land aboard the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). John C. Stennis and Carrier Air Wing 9 (CVW) 9 are on a scheduled six-month deployment to the western Pacific Ocean.

San Diego, Calif. (April 5, 2006) - An MH-60R Seahawk helicopter assigned to the "Seahawks" of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron Four One (HSM-41) flies by the amphibious dock landing ship USS Comstock (LSD 45) during a routine flight off the coast of San Diego.

SAN DIEGO (Oct. 4, 2007) - Sailors parade the colors during the establishment ceremony for Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 71. HSM-71 became the U.S. Navy’s first operational MH-60R Seahawk helicopter squadron.

 

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nice hmmmmmmm

 

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CAE-Built MH-60R Avionics Maintenance Trainer (AMT) Enters Service for U.S. Navy
UNITED STATES - 13 JULY 2010

CAE USA today announced that the first MH-60R avionics maintenance trainer (AMT) built by the company for the United States Navy has been declared ready-for-training and entered service at the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit (CNATTU) in Jacksonville, Florida.

The MH-60R AMT will now provide transition and readiness training for MH-60R avionics electronics technicians and be used to demonstrate, instruct and provide hands-on experience on maintaining the MH-60R Romeo helicopter, which is used by the Navy for anti-submarine warfare and surface attack. CAE USA is designing a second MH-60R AMT that will be delivered later this year to Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island, California.

"We are pleased the Navy has declared the first CAE-built MH-60R avionics maintenance trainer ready-for-training," said John Lenyo, president and general manager, CAE USA. "The Navy now has put into service comprehensive MH-60R Romeo training systems from CAE that are helping pilots, rear crews, and maintenance personnel prepare for mission success."

CAE USA is also the prime contractor responsible for the design and manufacture of MH-60R tactical operational flight trainers (TOFT) for the US Navy. The MH-60R TOFT includes both an MH-60R operational flight trainer for training pilots and an MH-60R weapons tactics trainer for training sensor operators and airborne tactics officers. The two training devices can operate independently or networked to provide a total aircrew mission training system. CAE has already delivered two MH-60R TOFTs to the US Navy, and will deliver a third MH-60R TOFT later this year.


Source: CAE