USAF SELECTS
BOEING-LEONARDO TEAM
A BOEING LEONARDO TEAM
was selected by the USAF as the
winner of the competition to build
a replacement for the service’s eet
of UH-1N Twin Huey helicopters
when, on September 24, Boeing
was awarded a contract to deliver
MH-139 helicopters.
The MH-139, which is a
militarized version of the
commercial AW139 produced by
Leonardo in Philadelphia, was
selected over competing o erings
from Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky
Aircraft and the Sierra Nevada
Corporation (SNC), which both
proposed variants of the SikorskyUH-60. Boeing initially received a
$375-million contract that covers
the rst four helicopters and
integration of military-speci c
changes required to meet USAF
requirements. First deliveries will
occur in 2021.
If the service acquires the
planned eet of 84 helicopters,
the program could be worth as
much as $2.38 billion. The USAF
originally estimated the cost would
be around $4.1 billion.
The USAF cancelled earlier
plans to rework former US
Army helicopters to meet its
requirements and the subsequentsole-source purchase of UH-60Ms
from Sikorsky Aircraft. Sikorsky’s
HH-60U was considered the front-
runner in this competition. Based
on the US Army UH-60M it featured
a rescue hoist, an electro-optical
sensor, and other mission-speci c
modi cations. Variants of the
H-60 are already serving with the
US Army, Navy, Marine Corps,
Coast Guard and Air Force. In fact,
Sikorsky is already producing a
new combat rescue helicopter,
under the designation HH-60W, for
the USAF. SNC’s o er was based
on upgraded former US Army
UH-60As that would have been
modi ed to UH-60L con guration
with new General Electric T701D
engines, updated avionics and a
‘glass’ cockpit.
The MH-139As will be capable of
carrying nine fully loaded troops. It
will have a 135kt (250km/h) cruise
speed and be capable of ying for
a minimum of three hours with a
range of 225nm (417km) without
the aid of refueling.
The helicopters will be
assembled by Leonardo at
its facility in north-eastern
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Military-speci c components
will be incorporated by Boeing
at its Ridley Park, Pennsylvania,
plant. The MH-139s will replace
UH-1Ns used in the nuclear missile
site security, training, test, and
operational support airlift roles.The brand-new Boeing T-X, selected
by the USAF as its new trainer. A
decision Lockheed Martin said it
would not protest. BoeingUS ARMY FUTURE
AT TAC K
RECONNAISSANCE
AIRCRAFT MOVES
FORWARD
THE US ARMY issued a request
soliciting proposals for its future attack
reconnaissance aircraft competitive
prototype (FARA CP) project on
October 3. The service had earlier held
an industry day associated with the
FARA CP in Huntsville, Alabama on
June 28, 2018. The army will conduct
a ‘competitive prototyping e ort to
design, build, and test a FARA in an
operationally relevant environment’.
Development funding will initially
be provided to up to six industry
participants with a down-select
to two in Fiscal 2020. Under the
current plan, two prototypes would
y in the rst quarter of 2023 with a
competitive y-o following in the
fourth quarter. The results of the e ort
will support a decision to transition
to a formal program of record and
begin engineering manufacturing
and development (EMD) in 2024. The
FARA will be comparable in size to the
future vertical lift (FVL) capability set
1 light attack and scout aircraft, which
has a minimum internal payload of six
passengers. The aircraft would achieve
initial operational capability by
2028 and up 500 examples could be
produced. The program requires that
only US rms be considered as prime
contractors.The MH-139 was the latest win
for Boeing, which also secured
the MQ-25 Stingray award from
the US Navy. Boeing[NEWS] UNITED STATES
08 December 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net