Sikorsky wins contract to build six more VH-92A ‘Marine One’ helicopters

Sikorsky has won a $471 million contract from the US Navy (USN) to build six production VH-92A presidential helicopters.
The helicopters are to be operated by the US Marine Corps (USMC) and are to replace the Sikorsky VH-3D, popularly known by its call sign of “Marine One” when the US president flies aboard.
The USN plans to buy 23 examples of the VH-92A as part of its programme of record.
Sikorsky will deliver the six VH-92A helicopters in 2022 and 2023.
flightglobal

Sikorsky willing to supply S-92 VVIP helicopters to India

Sikorsky, is keen to sell VVIP transport helicopters to the Indian government.
India cancelled a deal for 12 VVIP helicopters with Italian Finmeccanica's last year over a corruption scandal.
Industry sources in India expect a new tender this year. Sikorsky, which pitched its S-92 helicopter but lost to AgustaWestland in the initial tender, could take part once again.
India needs 12 helicopters to replace its Russia-made Mi-8 aircraft. After the cancellation of the AW101 order, it modified some of its Mi-17 helicopters for VVIP missions.
Russian Helicopters could also bid for a new contract using Mi-17s while Airbus Helicopters could enter the fray with its EC225.
In May 2014, Sikorsky won an initial contract to develop and build six U.S. presidential helicopters, the first step toward a fleet of 21 new aircraft by 2023.
reuters

Presidential Helo Contract Expected This Week

The contract for the next US presidential helicopter will be awarded this week.
The only known bidder on the program is the team of Sikorsky Aircraft and Lockheed Martin, which is offering a souped-up version of Sikorsky’s S-92. The president flies in Sikorsky-made VH-3D and VH-60N aircraft.
The US government hopes to acquire up to 23 operational helicopters, with a 2020 operational date targeted.
Initially, the US Navy expected Sikorsky to be challenged by offerings from the teams of Northrop Grumman-AgustaWestland and Bell-Boeing. But after studying the requirements, both teams declined to participate in the program.
The Navy has been attempting to award the contract for the presidential helicopter, formally known as VXX, since the mid-2000s. Sikorsky actually lost to a team of Lockheed and AgustaWestland in 2005, before requirements creep led to increased costs and the eventual cancellation of that contract in 2009. The new competition was launched in November 2012.
defensenews

Navy Set to Pick Presidential Helicopter Contractor

The Navy plans to select the contractor who will build the next generation presidential helicopter next month.
It appears the service will only have one contractor to choose from, Sikorsky, after two other teams dropped out of the bidding process. AgustaWestland and Northrop Grumman had planned to offer the AW101 helicopter, and Boeing had discussed offering modified versions of the V-22 Osprey and the CH-47 Chinook. Both dropped out.
That would leave Sikorsky as the lone bidder with the company set to offer its S-92 helicopter to replace the aging VH-3D Sea King.
The Navy plans to build a fleet of 21 operational aircraft and 2 test aircraft for the president. Marine Helicopter Squadron One will fly the new aircraft. Full operational capability is expected in 2022 and the first test aircraft will be delivered in 2016.
The Navy’s selection of a new contractor will come five years after the former contract with Lockheed Martin and AgustaWestland to building the helicopter was canceled. Cost overruns had ballooned by so much.
The former helicopter was so advanced it was supposed to survive a nuclear blast.
Five years later the Navy is ready to start anew, likely with the same company who built the aging presidential helicopter.
dodbuzz

Sikorsky ready to replace AgustaWestland as supplier of VVIP helicopters to India

American aircraft firm Sikorsky Thursday said it was willing to provide VVIP helicopters to India as the government takes steps to scrap the existing deal with AgustaWestland.
Sikorsky, which had also bid for the Rs.3,600 crore contract to supply 12 VVIP helicopters to the Indian Air Force, is ready to supply the helicopters if the Indian government calls it to do so.
Sikorsky had offered its S-92 helicopters to the Air Force but the deal was won by Italian helicopter major AgustaWestland's AW-101.
Sikorsky's willingness to supply the choppers comes amid reports that the Indian government issued show cause notice for cancelling the contract after AgustaWestland's bid to seek arbitration.

Sikorsky finishes build of first UK Long SAR aircraft

Sikorsky has finished assembly of the first “baseline” S-92 to be delivered to Bristow Helicopters for the UK’s Long SAR requirement.
It will be handed over to the operator in July next year following fit-out with search and rescue mission equipment at the airframer’s facility in Coatsville, Pensylvania.
In all, Bristow will receive seven brand-new examples of the 11t type in the period to July 2015. Four additional airframes, based in Sumburgh and Stornoway, are already in use under the UK’s Gap SAR contract and will transfer across when the new regime begins in 2015.
Bristow won the 10-year SAR deal in March this year. It will see the company take over search and rescue operations from Royal Navy and Royal Air Force units, replacing aged Westland Sea Kings with the S-92s and AgustaWestland AW189s.
They will be equipped with FLIR Systems Star Safire 380-HD imaging equipment.
flightglobal

Only One Bidder For New US Presidential Helo?

It’s looking increasingly likely that when the bidding closes for the new VXX US presidential helicopter program, only one serious offer will be made.
Of the three major industry teams expected to compete, two — AgustaWestland and Bell-Boeing — have announced their withdrawal, leaving the field to Sikorsky.
defensenews

Bristow wins £1.6bn UK search and rescue deal

A long-running procurement programme to outsource and modernise the UK's search and rescue helicopter operations has finally ended with the award of a £1.6 billion contract to US-owned Bristow Helicopters.

To replace the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force AgustaWestland Sea King fleets, from 2015 Bristow will bring in new AgustaWestland AW189s and Sikorsky S-92s, says the UK Department for Transport (DfT) announcing the award on 26 March. The new operation will be fully active from 2017.
flightglobal

Bristow's first S-92s for Gap SAR arrive in UK

Two of the four Sikorsky S-92s that will be operated by Bristow Helicopters for the UK's Gap Search and Rescue requirement have arrived in Scotland ahead of their deployment later this year.

Training activities using the new rotorcraft (G-MCGA and G-MCGB) have commenced from Inverness airport, says the operator. Two helicopters will be based at Sumburgh in the Shetland Isles and the other pair will operate from Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis.

flightglobal

El CH-148 propuesto como futuro helicóptero naval alemán/ CH-148 Cyclone proposed to German Navy

Rheinmetall y Sikorsky han propuesto al helicóptero naval Cyclone CH-148, versión del S-92, como futuro helicóptero para la Armada alemana, que ha lanzado un requerimiento por treinta unidades.
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Rheinmetall and Sikorsky recently proposed the Cyclone Naval CH-148 Helicopter for a German Navy’s requirement of thirty multi-role naval helicopters.
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