A 10-year programme for the Coast Guard’s current MH-60T fleet was initiated when Sikorsky delivered the first of 45 replacement MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter airframes to the agency.
Sikorsky delivers the first replacement airframe for the MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter to the U.S. Coast Guard on November 30 As part of a programme to extend the service life of the MH-60T fleet. A 10-year programme to prolong the service life of the Coast Guard’s current MH-60T fleet and enable the agency to continue conducting life-saving missions into the 2040s was initiated when Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, delivered the first of 45 replacement MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter airframes to the agency.
The Coast Guard Aviation Logistics Centre (ALC) in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, will begin rebuilding the first MH-60T helicopter to receive the new airframe, which consists of the nose, cabin, and aft transition structures combined as a single assembly, in December 2023. The ALC has been maintaining and repairing the fleet of Jayhawk helicopters for the last 33 years, up to the airframe’s 20,000 flight hours of maximum operational life.
Paul Lemmo, President, Sikorsky said, “We congratulate the Coast Guard ALC for the tremendous work it’s done to keep the Jayhawk fleet operating for decades. Equally, we applaud the Coast Guard aircrews, whose bravery and skill flying these rugged aircraft into extreme conditions over land, lakes and sea have saved thousands of lives.”
Saved Lives
The Coast Guard reports that since 1990, the H-60 Jayhawk medium range recovery helicopter fleet has completed over 48,300 search and rescue missions, saving over 11,900 lives and accruing over 730,430 flight hours.
Rear Adm. Michael Campbell, Coast Guard Director of Acquisition Programs and Program Executive Officer said, “The MH-60T is an important part of the execution of many Coast Guard missions, including search and rescue, and our Service Life Extension Program is vital in maintaining this capability. Delivery of this first newly manufactured hull by Sikorsky is an important step in this effort. In addition to this partnership with Sikorsky for the new hulls, it is important to note the talented workforce at the Coast Guard Aviation Logistics Center in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, who will be executing the SLEP work. Their skills make this project possible.”
Reasons why it matters
With an average of 16,000 flight hours per aircraft, the fleet of 45 MH-60T helicopters is getting close to reaching its useful life limit of 20,000 hours after more than 30 years of operation.
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The Coast Guard ALC will rebuild each aircraft using a brand-new airframe after removing all dynamic (moving) parts, digital cockpit, mission systems, and engines in order to prolong the aircraft’s useful life. According to the Number, Sikorsky has a $374 million contract with the Coast Guard ALC to deliver all 45 MH-60T airframes at a rate of 12 per year through 2027.
