USAF CSAR replacement program back on the burner?

[buglerbilly]

USAF Releases New Plan To Replace Pave Hawk

By bruce rolfsen

Published: 28 Mar 2010 09:26

The U.S. Air Force is trying a second time to replace its approximately 100 HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopters with a newly designed helicopter.


The U.S. Air Force has come up with a new strategy to replace its aging HH-60G helicopter fleet. (AIRMAN 1ST CLASS BENJAMIN WISEMAN / U.S. AIR FORCE)

The new plan, released March 23 by the Aeronautical Systems Center, calls for awarding a contract in 2012 and reaching initial operational capability with eight aircraft by September 2015. No date has been set for replacing all HH-60Gs.

Along with the timeline, the HH-60 Personnel Recovery Recapitalization Program lays out the likely performance requirements for the new helicopter. The proposed specifications are similar to those of the Pave Hawk, built by Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.

The new helicopter should be able to fly about 250 miles out and back without refueling, as well as reach a sustained speed of at least 143 mph and hover at 6,000 feet fully loaded.

No requirement is set for patient capacity, although operational scenarios in the proposal cite the need to carry two wounded troops. The plan, however, does call for an aircrew of four - two pilots and two flight engineers/aerial gunners - and room for three pararescuemen and their gear.

Air Force officials posted the plan on Federal Business Opportunities, www.fbo.gov, the government site where all contract solicitations and similar requests must be published.

The HH-60 recapitalization program is a successor to the canceled Combat Search and Rescue-X project, killed last year by Defense Secretary Robert Gates. A rescue version of Boeing's HH-47 Chinook won the CSAR-X competition in 2006, but the Air Force withdrew the contract award after the Government Accountability Office faulted the service's evaluation of entries from Boeing, Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin.

The Air Force also has a $313 million project to buy nine HH-60Ms in the next two years to replace HH-60Gs that are old or have been lost in crashes.

[buglerbilly]

DATE:22/04/10

SOURCE:Flight International

Sikorsky/Lockheed teaming on VXX may expand to CSAR-X

By Stephen Trimble

In addition to teaming for a new presidential helicopter bid, Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin are considering partnering for the US Air Force's revived competition for a combat search and rescue (CSAR-X) helicopter.

"Our relationship with Lockheed could have application on things like CSAR as well," says Scott Starrett, president of Sikorsky Military Systems.

Three weeks ago, both companies signed an agreement to partner specifically for the VXX presidential helicopter programme, offering a VH-92 design based on the airframe and engine configuration already sold to Canada under the CH-148 Cyclone contract, Starrett says.


© The Maple Leaf/Canadian Forces
Canada's delayed CH-148 Cyclone will enter service in November

But the VXX agreement falls under a broader memorandum of understanding between the companies that allows for considering other missions with different aircraft.

"We will address those one by one and make decisions one by one," Starrett says.

The air force plans to award a CSAR-X contract in fiscal year 2012 to replace 100 ageing Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawks. A request for information released in March lists basic requirements that closely resemble the performance of the Sikorsky UH-60M, although the USAF is not planning to award a sole-source contract to the company.

A Lockheed/Sikorsky partnership on CSAR-X could be based on a four-decade-old relationship between the firms, which have supplied SH-60 and MH-60 Seahawks to the US Navy as patrol and anti-submarine warfare helicopters.

The companies are growing closer after splitting apart during the previous round of competitions for the VXX and CSAR-X contracts. Lockheed teamed with AgustaWestland on an AW101 derivative to compete against Sikorsky for VXX and against Boeing and Sikorsky for CSAR-X.

Lockheed initially triumphed over Sikorsky on VXX, claiming a $6 billion award to deliver 23 helicopters. But US Navy officials substantially changed the aircraft and system requirements after contract award, forcing a major redesign of the VH-71A (below). The resulting cost overruns and schedule delays forced the Obama administration to terminate the contract last June.


© Lockheed Martin
The US Navy's changed requirements for the VH-71A led to its cancellation

The navy released a new request for information for the revived VXX competition in February, suggesting the programme could be split into separate aircraft to carry VIPs and communications and command and control equipment.

Sikorsky, however, believes its joint VH-92 proposal with Lockheed will allow the USN to buy a single aircraft to perform both missions at the same time. The VH-92 will be powered by two General Electric CT7-8D engines, each producing around 2,500shp (1,865kW).

"Our cabin and the way we would configure it would meet their requirements for cabin size," Starrett says.

Sikorsky plans to deliver the first CH-148 to Canada in November after delays.

[buglerbilly]

Lockheed, Sikorsky Team Up For New CSAR Bid

Jul 15, 2010



By Michael Fabey

Former foes Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky Aircraft are teaming up to offer a modified UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter they say will better meet the pared-down expectations for the U.S. Air Force combat, search and rescue (CSAR) replacement program.

Under the teaming agreement, Sikorsky will be the prime contractor with Lockheed playing the major subsystems supplier role to battle for the HH-60 Personnel Recovery Recapitalization program (HH-60 Recap). The HH-60 Recap program would replace the 112 existing HH-60G Pave Hawk fleet with an equal number of new aircraft requiring minimal airframe modification or mission systems development.

The Air Force is looking at a 2015 deadline for initial operational capability (IOC), which includes the delivery of eight aircraft — four trainers and four mission-ready aircraft, plus test aircraft.

By offering a modified version of a helicopter already in production provided by a team that has worked on similar programs in the past, the two contractors are betting they can provide the Air Force with a reasonably priced program, according to Scott Starrett, president of Sikorsky Military Systems.

“The focus now is on low-risk and off-the-shelf capability,” says Dan Spoor, aviation systems vice president at Lockheed Martin Mission Systems & Sensors.

The recap program is a far cry from the previous CSAR-X replacement program the Air Force had in mind that was initially supposed to have its IOC in 2009. With that aircraft, the service was demanding major — and, the Pentagon found, risky — advances in technology, payload and other capabilities.

Both Lockheed and Sikorsky had separate, more-advanced entries for CSAR-X.

he acquisition cost for that program rose to about $15 billion and the Pentagon finally canceled the CSAR-X competition after an initial award to Boeing that Lockheed and Sikorsky both protested.

Just how much the current program will cost is unknown, although most say it should be less than the CSAR-X, perhaps substantially so. Judging by the Air Force’s recent CSAR request for information (RFI), the service is looking at a much more down-to-Earth replacement aircraft.

“The Air Force has refined their requirements,” Starrett says. “It’s cut across all aspects of the mission.”

In the debate leading up to the CSAR-X cancellation, Pentagon procurement officials had questioned the need for a dedicated CSAR aircraft under Air Force supervision. But Air Force and other military leaders produced data and anecdotes saying such a mission was necessary. The very fact that the Air Force released an RFI shows that there is enough validation for the mission, and for having an acquisition program and assigning service responsibility to support a new CSAR fleet, Starrett says.

That need is still there, Spoor says. CSAR aircraft and teams continue to be among the most-demanded assets in theater. To meet that need and keep current CSAR capability flying, Army combat loss contracts are being used to buy more HH-60s, Starrett says.

The advanced HH-60Ms would essentially have the same airframe with Lockheed-provided sensors and suites for communications, terrain avoidance and other capability, depending on what the Air Force wants, Starrett and Spoor say. More suites can be added later for additional capability.

Starrett says, “It fits nicely into the requirements.”

Lockheed and Sikorsky also are teamed up to pursue the presidential helicopter replacement program, where they face a rival Boeing/AgustaWestland team. Some in the industry speculate that a Boeing/AgustaWestland team may also bid on CSAR.

Credit: Sikorsky

[buglerbilly]

CSAR Copter Marks Buying Shift

By Colin Clark Thursday, July 15th, 2010 5:22 pm

The Air Force’s approach to the new combat search and rescue helicopter program — call it CSAR-2 — marks what appears to be an increasingly solid Pentagon trend — restrained requirements and a sharp focus on improving weapons we’ve already got.

That became clear when Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin announced today that they are going to bid a modified Blackhawk helicopter for the role of searching for and rescuing downed airmen and troopers. The program, laboring under the distinctly unglamorous name of HH-60 Recap, will replace the current fleet of 112 HH-60G Pave Hawks.

When I asked Scott Starrett, president of Sikorsky Military Systems, whether the new program marked a shift in approach from superb weapons embodying the latest and greatest technology to less ambitious systems with more limited requirements he wandered around a bit and then said “yes.” Starrett pointed to the presidential helo program as the first clear marker in this new acquisition hand.

Sikorsky is the prime on this, with Lockheed providing the crucial subsystems for data fusion and other tasks that will differentiate this from other BlackHawks.

Dan Spoor, aviation systems vice president at Lockheed Martin, said the government’s “focus now is on low-risk and off-the-shelf capability.”

No Lockheed or Sikorsky folks would provide useful answers to questions about either program cost or unit costs. However, Spoor stressed that the two companies “would offer a really compelling low-cost” solution, clearly indicating that the recently-cancelled CSAR-X’s $15 billion was not likely to be their benchmark.

One way to avoid costs is a different approach to the requirements, gradually ramping them up as the program matures instead of stuffing the new helos with the latest and finest available from the beginning, a Lockheed official said.

The companies should benefit from the change in the Pentagon’s approach in the sense that their return on investment in the BlackHawk should improve, Starrett said. “It improves our ROI and, more importantly, it improves the customer’s ROI,” he said.

Read more: http://www.dodbuzz.com/2010/07/15/csar-copter-marks-buying-shift/#idc-container#ixzz0to7yjlLg

[buglerbilly]

DATE:16/07/10

SOURCE:Flight International

Boeing outsizes rivals in bid to replace HH-60

By Stephen Trimble

With at least three companies now vying to build more than 100 helicopters for the US Air Force, aircraft size has emerged as a major factor in the competition.

In response to a request for information issued in March, three teams -- Boeing, EADS North America and Sikorsky/Lockheed Martin -- have announced making submissions.

Boeing has submitted data on the CH-47 and V-22 to the US Air Force as potential replacements for the HH-60G Pave Hawk fleet of combat search and rescue helicopters (CSAR), a spokesman says. Offering both the Chinook and Osprey means Boeing is taking a starkly different approach to winning the potentially $1.7 billion contract than two other declared teams competing for the deal.

Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin, which today formally announced entering the competition, plan to offer the UH-60M, a helicopter less than half the size of the heavylift CH-47 and barely one-third the maximum takeoff weight of the V-22 tiltrotor.

The same variance in size, roughly put, also applies to the aircraft proposed by EADS, which are the NH-90 and EC-725 Super Cougar. EADS submitted data on both aircraft because they believe they "offer proven capabilities at best value and lowest cost to the taxpayer," says EADS NA chief operating officer Dave Oliver.

In another twist, the UH-60M is itself a departure from both Lockheed's and Sikorsky's previous strategies for replacing the HH-60G.

In the former CSAR-X competition, a Lockheed Martin/AgustaWestland team offered the US101 and Sikorksy proposed the HH-92. Boeing initially won the deal with the HH-47. But the contract award was overturned twice due to procedural mistakes in the acquisition process.

In March, the air force issued a new request for information with a different set of requirements.

"It was pretty evident that the air force had gone back and looked at their mission requirements and ended up with a requirement that a Black Hawk met," says Scott Starrett, president of Sikorsky Military Systems.

Rather than invest billions in a lengthy development project, the air force now plans to buy a mostly off-the-shelf helicopter. Budget documents show that less than $150 million is budgeted for a three-year engineering, manufacturing and development (EMD) phase. A follow-on production order to replace 112 HH-60Gs is budgeted at $1.5 billion.

The only development work for the Sikorsky/Lockheed bid is the software to fuse data from the sensors on the aircraft into a common display, says Dan Spoor, Lockheed aviation systems vice president.

Entering the race for the HH-60G replacement deal grew out of a recent decision by Sikorksy and Lockheed to team up for the VXX presidential helicopter deal with the VH-92.

Still unclear are the intentions of AgustaWestland, but it's likely the Italian company will again offer the three-engine US101 and perhaps smaller helicopters.

[buglerbilly]

EADS Pitches 2 Helos to USAF

Posted by Bradley Peniston | July 18th, 2010


EADS has pitched the EC725, above, and NH90 to the U.S. Air Force. (Eurocopter photo)

By PIERRE TRAN, LONDON – EADS has pitched the EC725 and NH90 helicopters for two U.S. Air Force renewal programs as part of efforts to boost sales in the United States to $10 billion by the end of the decade, said Sean O’Keefe, chief executive of EADS North America.

The helicopter bids, along with offering the A400M transport aircraft and fielding three demonstrator EC145s for the U.S. Army’s armed aerial scout program, were among the business prospects outlined by O’Keefe July 17 at a media seminar ahead of the Farnborough airshow.

Although less spectacular than the $35 billion tanker bid, EADS hopes to boost its presence in the U.S. military market with its helicopters.

EADS responded Jan. 22 with data on the EC725 and NH90 to a request for information by the U.S. Air Force for its common vertical lift support platform (CVLSP) program, said David Haines, vice president of rotorcraft programs, EADS North America.

The offer of helicopters is part of EADS North America’s plans to “grow government business,” he said.

The program managers at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base are looking to acquire 93 new helicopters to replace 62 UH-1N aircraft used to provide quick reaction capabilities for nuclear missile silos and evacuation of staff in Washington, D.C. Some of the present aircraft are 30-35 years old.

An initial $500 million is budgeted in the 2011-2015 fiscal year period, with total acquisition estimated to be worth $2 billion to $3 billion, depending on the number of units bought, Haines said.

A tender is expected to be announced in the latter part of next year, with a contract awarded in FY 2012.

“This is a quintessential off-the-shelf buy,” with a first delivery in 2014 and initial operating capability of six aircraft in 2015, Haines said.

Competition is expected to be stiff, with Sikorsky, AgustaWestland, Bell and Boeing expected to line up to compete.

EADS also responded April 22 to a request for information from Wright Patterson AFB for its HH-60G Recapitalization (recap) program, intended to replace 112 units of the Sikorsky Pave Hawk used for combat search and rescue.

EADS expects the competition, estimated to be worth $3.5 billion to $4 billion, to be launched in late 2011, with a first delivery of aircraft for test and evaluation in late 2013 or early 2014, and initial operating capability of eight units in the fourth quarter of 2015.

“We have briefed the leadership and program managers,” Haines said. “We see this as a competitive type of approach.”

Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin have teamed to offer an upgraded UH-60M Black Hawk for the recap program.

EADS also sees the A400M as a means of filling a gap when the U.S. armed forces begin to withdraw theater airlifters from the middle of the decade, just as production is expected to ramp up for the European aircraft.

EADS supplies the CN235 for the U.S. Coast Guard, which calls it the HC-144A.

[buglerbilly]

New Competition to Replace Pave Hawks Could Delay IOC by at Least Two Years

(Source: Forecast International; issued September 7, 2010)

A full competition includes a lot more than just Blackhawk and Chinook as intimated below!

LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. --- U.S. Air Force officials have said that launching a new competition to replace its aging HH-60G Pave Hawk combat search-and-rescue helicopters could delay Initial Operational Capability of a new aircraft by two years or more.

The Air Force is deciding between buying new Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawks or holding a competition between the Black Hawk and Boeing's CH-47 Chinook, which won the original competition to replace the Pave Hawks. That program, known as CSAR-X, was terminated in April 2009, with Defense Secretary Robert Gates directing the Air Force to replace the HH-60s using an existing capability.

The Joint Requirements Oversight Council has approved an FY15 IOC for a Pave Hawk replacement, but service officials have said that the only way to achieve that date is to buy new Black Hawks. Acquisition officials, however, would prefer to hold a full competition. The requirements for the Pave Hawk replacement have been scaled down compared to the original CSAR-X program.

There is a possibility that the Air Force could combine the Pave Hawk replacement program with an effort to replace the service's aging UH-1N helicopters, which are used to patrol ballistic missile launch sites

-ends-

[buglerbilly]

AgustaWestland to Offer HH-71 for USAF Combat Search and Rescue HH-60G Pave Hawk Replacement Program

September 13, 2010 at 9:30 pm

tamir_eshel


For Combat Search and Rescue, the AW101 can be equipped with window or door mounted guns, defensive aids suite and air-to-air refueling equipment. Photo: AgustaWestland

AgustaWestland plans to compete for the U.S. Air Force’s planned replacement of HH-60G Pave hawk combat search and rescue (CSAR) helicopter with over 100 ‘off-the-shelf’ platform. The European group is offering a version of the AW101 designated HH-71. Two years ago the company teamed with Lockheed Martin to offer the U.S. Air Force a similar search and rescue helicopter (CSAR-X program). Then they lost to the much heavier HH-47 Chinook, proposed by Boeing. Last month Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky announced their intention to offer the Air Force a modified version of the latest Black Hawk UH-60M tailored for CSAR missions.


A view from the cockpit of an AW-101. Photo: AgustaWestland

R. Scott Rettig, chief executive officer of AgustaWestland North America believes the HH-71, “has modern, stealthy capabilities are balanced out with the confidence of a mature, proven platform, as the full CSAR program requirements are developed.” Among the HH-71s’ attributes that could benefit its CSAR role are low acoustic signature, all-weather capability and effectiveness in austere environments such as sand and snow. The aircraft includes three engines providing aircrews the assurance that the mission can be safely completed, even under hostile or irregular warfare conditions. The spacious cabin space is wide enough to transport 35 seated troops or 16 stretchers for medical evacuations and room for on-board treatment – a significant capacity increase over the legacy platform. More than 155 AW101 helicopters were delivered to date, accumulating over 200,000 flight hours, some have been flying combat and support missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. For Combat Search and Rescue, the AW101 can be equipped with window or door mounted guns, defensive aids suite and air-to-air refueling equipment.

Other likely competitors for the US$1.7 billion program are the European NH Industries NH-90 or Eurocopter EC-725 Super Cougar, both proposed by EADS North America present a different possibility that could rely on one of the aircraft or a mix of both types. Boeing is also offering a mix of CH-47 Chinook and V-22 Tilt Rotor aircraft.

[buglerbilly]

These are a very nice group of images released previously by Augusta Westland for the CSAR program............

[Deks]

Shouldn't it have a mini-gun? Cool pictures though :)

[buglerbilly]

Shouldn't it have a mini-gun? Cool pictures though :)

WHY would you need a Mini-gun when you have 3 x M3 .50cals on board? :thumbsup

[buglerbilly]

Combat Search And Rescue: Air Force Chooses Low Cost Over High Capability

(Source: Lexington Institute; issued September 20, 2010)

(© Lexington Institute; reproduced by permission)

It must be a tough job running the U.S. Air Force these days. It's still the most powerful aerospace force in the world, but every week its leaders participate in choices that eventually will call that status into question. First its family of future radar planes was killed. Then the revolutionary space radar that was supposed to provide an alternative to radar planes was axed too. Then its next-generation air-superiority fighter was terminated at less than half the stated requirement. Then it was forced to start over on a new bomber. Then policymakers began gnawing away at the service's plans for its most capable unmanned aircraft.

No doubt about it, the Air Force is in a steep decline. But at some point, the service has to run out of shiny new ideas to kill, right? Well, not yet. The latest candidate for termination is the decade-long effort to find a future combat search-and-rescue rotorcraft that can perform missions better that the existing Reagan-era HH-60G Pave Hawk. Retrieving downed pilots and other endangered personnel is a niche mission that the Air Force has dominated for decades, but now its fleet of dedicated search-and-rescue helicopters has grown old through overuse, and readiness (not to mention safety) is an increasing concern.

Way back at the beginning of the decade the service conducted an analysis of alternatives for how to modernize, and concluded the existing Pave Hawks were too small and range-constrained to accomplish some future missions. Fortunately, there were several highly-capable alternatives to choose from, such as the bigger, more survivable EH-101, and the versatile V-22 tiltrotor that combines the vertical agility of a helicopter with the range and speed of a fixed-wing aircraft.

The service conducted a competition, and concluded the best option was the twin-rotor CH-47 Chinook produced by Boeing (a version of the existing search-and-rescue helicopter wasn't even offered). But then the lawyers took over, a successful protest was launched, and the whole modernization program drifted into limbo as defense secretary Robert Gates purged the Air Force's senior leaders.

Fast forward two years, and it's like a decade of hard work at finding a truly capable search-and-rescue rotorcraft has all been forgotten. The Air Force wants to just buy more of the venerable HH-60s, presumably with updated electronics, and call it a day. It doesn't want to conduct a competition because its says that would cause too much delay in fielding new rotorcraft, and it seems to have developed amnesia about the 2002 analysis of alternatives that found the existing helicopter isn't adequate for future needs. So once again, the Air Force of tomorrow is slipping away as today's leaders make compromises to stay within their budgets.

If you're a taxpayer who wants to reduce the budget deficit, then perhaps it sounds like a good thing that the service is drastically paring its requirements for search-and-rescue. But if your kid wants to be a combat pilot, maybe you better direct him or her to a service like the Marine Corps, which looks like it will be better equipped than the Air Force in the future to rescue pilots when they are shot down in far-away places.

-ends-

[buglerbilly]

USAF Tweaks High-Hot Specs for New Rescue Bird



Nothing like manipulating the RFI to make sure the weakest offer has a chance to win.................whilst also removing the distinct advantage the two top offers will clearly have..............

The Air Force introduced a flurry of changes recently to its request for information on what types of choppers industry can provide to replace the current crop of 112 overworked HH-60 Pave Hawk combat search and rescue helicopters.

Most obvious is a change made on Oct. 27 requiring proposed aircraft to be “capable of sustaining 125 knots true air speed” while flying at 4,000 feet in 80 degree temperatures and loaded with 2,000 pounds of cargo along with enough gas “to meet [a] maximum Combat Radius” of 195 nautical miles.

The original “sources sought” notice, published on March 23, lists a sustained speed of 130 knots at 4,000 feet altitude in 95 degree heat carrying more than 2,500 pounds of cargo with radius of 220 nautical miles....................

Read more: http://defensetech.org/#ixzz13iL668Zm
Defense.org

[buglerbilly]

USAF Wants New CSAR Birds in Service By 2017



New details are emerging with the Air Force’s plan to replace its fleet of heavily used HH-60G Pave Hawk Combat Search and Rescue helicopters; namely, the service now hopes to award a contract in late fiscal year 2013 with the aircraft being ready to fly missions by FY-17 or early FY-18, according to service briefing document.

This signals a delay of a little over two years when compared to a request for information posted on FedBizOpps early last year that stated a mission ready or, Initial Operational Capability, date of no later than Sept. 30 2015.

Over the last ten years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan the Pave Hawks have become some of the most heavily used choppers in the Pentagon’s inventory. The rescue birds are the only aircraft in DoD dedicated to performing extremely high-risk rescue missions; whether into a hot LZ or in bad weather, the Pave Hawks and their highly-trained crews of pilots and PJs will come when called. Needless to say, this has taken its toll. Right now, the Air Force is down to about 99 HH-60s from an authorized total of 112 due to combat losses and accidents.

The service has initiated a band aid program to replace the 13 lost aircraft in the next couple of years with UH-60M airframes purchased from the Army. Still, this does little to address the fact that the vast majority of the CSAR fleet is aging and overused, with dozens of airframes developing stress cracks.

Now, more than two years after the cancellation of the $15 billion CSAR-X effort, the service is inching toward a less-technologically ambitious round of competition to replace the birds, with a draft request for proposals ‘notionally’ scheduled for early FY-12 and a final RfP out later that year followed by the FY-13 contract award, according to an Air Force briefing slide on its chopper purchasing strategy titled, Air Force Helicopter Acquisition Update.

This would be followed up by a little more than four years of development and test work using two test aircraft wrapping up in early FY-17. Meanwhile the first four choppers in the batch of 38 Low-Rate Initial Production aircraft will start to be delivered in FY-16. Six more will be added in FY-17, ten in FY-18, 18 in FY-19 and another 18 in FY-20 as the program shifts into full production. However, this schedule is only “notional” according to the document and relies on the service receiving at least $11 million in R&D cash in FY-12 to create an RfP and all the other tasks associated with starting a new procurement effort, according to the document.

Read more: http://defensetech.org/#ixzz1NWFig1Vj
Defense.org

[buglerbilly]

U.S. Air Force Delays Pave Hawk Replacement

By MARCUS WEISGERBER

Published: 10 Aug 2011 19:38

New U.S. Air Force combat rescue helicopters might not reach the battlefield until 2018, further delaying the service's ongoing effort to recapitalize its fatigued HH-60 Pave Hawk fleet.


A U.S. Air Force HH-60 Pave Hawk lands near Kandahar, Afghanistan. The Air Force plans to award the helicopter's replacement in 2013. (Staff Sgt. Eric Harris / U.S. Air Force)

The Air Force plans to award a contract for the HH-60 Recap program in 2013, according to an Aug. 9 request for information (RfI).

This would come seven years after the Air Force selected the Boeing HH-47 as the winner in an unsuccessful effort to replace its Pave Hawks.

The service expects the HH-60 Recap aircraft "will be an existing production helicopter with modifications using existing mature technology with only limited integration of existing subsystems as required," the RfI states.

In all, the Air Force is expected to replace 112 Sikorsky Pave Hawk helicopters, which have been in service since the early 1980s.

Initial operational capability (IOC) not expected until 2018, the RfI states. However, the document does note the battle-ready date could be sooner. IOC includes eight aircraft, training systems, support and the ability to deploy four aircraft for 30 days.

The Air Force will assess companies' ability to reach IOC by 2018 "or sooner with a medium risk schedule," the RfI states. An October 2010 RfI for the Pave Hawk recapitalization effort called for battle-ready helicopters by the end of 2015.

The RfI does not go into many details and refers bidders to a systems requirements document, which will only be released to contractors.

While the RfI does not state performance characteristics of the desired helicopter, it does note the Air Force anticipates using multiple datalinks. It also notes the service "may or may not" include a training system as part of the program's engineering and manufacturing development phase.

Responses to the RfI are due by Sept. 19.

The Air Force selected the Boeing HH-47 as the winner of the Combat Search-and-Recue Helicopter (CSAR-X) competition in 2006.

The $15 billion CSAR-X program was recompeted after industry protest by Sikorsky and a Lockheed Martin-Agusta Westland team. The program was eventually canceled by then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who ordered the Air Force to scale back the effort.

Many of the same players are expected to be involved in the HH-60 Recap competition, although the teams might change.

Sikorsky has teamed with Lockheed in recent years to offer the Black Hawk in numerous military helicopter competitions. Lockheed performs systems integration duties.

Agusta Westland has teamed with Boeing to compete to build a new Presidential Helicopter for the U.S. Marine Corps. Boeing has obtained the rights to co-build the AW101.

In prior information requests for the HH-60 recap program, Agusta Westland has pitched its AW101, Bell-Boeing the V-22 Osprey, Boeing the Chinook, EADS the EC725 and NH90 and Sikorsky the UH-60M Black Hawk.

Based on the Army Black Hawk, the HH-60 Pave Hawk is modified with rescue-specific equipment, such as upgraded navigation, communication, radar and sensors. Over the years, the service has lost numerous aircraft and the current fleet has been continuously deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, where they routinely fly medical evacuation missions.

[buglerbilly]

USAF releases HH-60 Recap RFI

August 11, 2011



The US Air Force (USAF) has released a request for information (RFI) for its HH-60 Recapitalization (HH-60 Recap) programme, which aims to replace the force’s HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter.

The new system will be used for personnel recovery missions, and it is expected the aircraft will be an existing production helicopter, according to the RFI, which was released on 9 August.

The USAF said it is only interested in a ‘full aircraft system solution’ to replace some 112 Pave Hawks.

A contract award is expected by 2013, and an initial operating capability (IOC) of eight aircraft, including training system and support, is required by 2018. This IOC will consist of four primary training aircraft inventory (PTAI) and four primary mission aircraft inventory (PMAI) aircraft.

The RFI’s purpose is to obtain market insight into the solutions that vendors have able to offer, and to see if they meet the requirements of the programme’s capability development document (CDD). It also serves as an update to previous RFIs for the programme issued in March and October 2010.

In April, the air force quelled speculation that the HH-60 Recap programme would be combined with the Common Vertical Lift Support Platform (CVLSP) project.

At the time AgustaWestland North America said it would offer the HH-71, which is based on the AW101, for the CSAR mission. Other possible contenders for the programme include the UH-60M, Boeing’s HH-47 Chinook and the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotor.

The USAF has already ordered 15 UH-60Ms from Sikorsky’s US Army production line as attrition replacements for older Pave Hawks serving the CSAR community. Following role conversion, these will be designated HH-60M Pave Hawk IIs.

The Recap programme replaces the earlier CSAR-X programme, which had selected the HH-47 Chinook before it was cancelled in 2009.

Beth Stevenson, London

[buglerbilly]

Combat Rescue Helicopter Acquisition Process Underway

(Source: US Air Force; issued Jan. 26, 2012)

WASHINGTON --- More than 30 potential civilian contract companies were in attendance during Industrial Days sponsored by the Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, Jan. 9-11.

The event, hosted by the Air Force Combat Rescue Helicopter Program, gave potential contractors a glimpse into the service's plans to replace the aging HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters.

"The CRH's primary mission is to recover isolated personnel from hostile or denied territory, but it will also conduct humanitarian, civil search and rescue, disaster relief, and non-combatant evacuation missions," Maj. Ian Kemp, Chief, Combat Rescue Helicopter Requirements Branch, said.

During the three-day event, an open session was conducted with all potential companies the first day. The following two-days were dedicated to one-on-one sessions with potential prime contractors and their subcontractor teams that had previously requested a meeting.

"The 'Industry Days' focused on maintaining an open dialogue with industry and providing them with an overview of the program, to include the preliminary acquisition strategy, contract strategy and program timeline," Dave Schairbaum, Director, Rotary Wing Branch, said.

"Additional details were provided on the requirements for airworthiness, test and evaluation, training systems and product support."

The CRH program will continue to seek feedback from industry to ensure the elements of the Request for Proposal are clear and well understood, said Lt. Col. Dave Jeter, Program Manager, Combat Rescue Helicopter.

Release of a Draft RFP is planned by the end of Feb. 2012.

-ends-

[buglerbilly]

USAF moves forward with HH-60 replacement

30 January 2012 - 11:22 by Tony Skinner in London, UK



Despite budget cuts continuing to cast a long shadow over US helicopter programmes, the US Air Force is looking to advance plans for a new Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH).

Col Chad Franks, commanding officer of 347th Rescue Group, said acquisition plans were made more urgent by the high demand for the aging HH-60G Pave Hawk, which was putting a strain on an already stressed fleet.

‘There have been a lot of major structural cracks in the last six years in the HH-60 and increased combat damage,’ explained Franks, speaking at the IQPC International Military Helicopter conference in London on 26 January.

‘The bottom line is our availability rate is declining and our maintenance guys are having a hard time keeping up. So it is really demanding a lot from our aircraft and our people.’

The HH-60G fleet carried out more than 9,700 sorties in 2010, recovering over 1,900 personnel, with the number of sorties only falling to around 8000 sorties in 2011. In the past six years there were 83 structural issues with aircraft that required unscheduled depot maintenance.

Franks noted that the secretary of the air force had endorsed the acquisition strategy in April 2011 and the CRH programme was currently funded in the Future Years Defense Program (FYDP).

An RfP was expected to be released in March 2012, with contract award 12 months later and an IOC scheduled for 2018. With funding uncertain, however, Franks cautioned that these were ‘not written in stone’.

The CRH programme was briefed to more than 30 companies at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, from 9 to 11 January. The event outlined the preliminary acquisition strategy, contract strategy and programme timeline, and also outlined such requirements as airworthiness, test and evaluation, training systems and product support.

Asked at the conference in London what the service was looking for in a potential CRH, Franks pointed to a dedicated and fully integrated aircraft.

‘What we have done over the last few years is we have put add-ons onto the aircraft but it has not been integrated the way it should have been. So for us, getting that total integration of our mission systems and our rescue systems all in one package would be ideal.’

The CRH will be designed from the offset to also carry out a wide range of missions, such as civil SAR, disaster relief, casualty/medical evacuation, humanitarian missions and non-combatant evacuation operations.

Franks noted that CSAR-X was primarily designed for one mission, which ‘really hurt it in the budget fight’ prior to its cancellation.

Meanwhile, the air force is continuing with the Operational Loss Replacement (OLR) programme, with two UH-60M aircraft accepted in 2012 to date.

‘Given the aircraft we have lost over the last nine years, our first job is to get back to 112. We are doing that by buying UH-60Ms right off the line and outfitting them with our rescue equipment.’